Skin Cancer Essays (1167 words) - Medicine, Clinical Medicine

Skin Cancer Skin Cancer About a million americans will develop skin cancer this year. Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers, and it's increasingly on the rise. There are millions of tiny cells that make up the human body. There are different kinds of cells, but they all make new cells by a process that involves dividing in half. This is how old cells are replaced with strong new cells. When a cells divides and doesn't do the job that it was intended to do for the body, and then it continues to divide and makes more of these useless cells, and these cells continue to collect, it is called a tumor. There are two types of tumors: benign and malignant. The cells in a benign tumor can crowd out healthy cells, even though they can not spread to other, and healthier, parts of the body (Ingraham 447). However, a malignant tumor is cancer. A malignant tumor can also crowd out the healthy cells around it, but in addition to thatt it can spread to other parts of the body and take over the healthy cells in different areas of the body. Skin cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the outer layers of skin. The skin has two main layers and several kinds of cells. The top layer is the epidermis and it is the layer that is shed most frequently. The inner layer is called the dermis and is thicker and contains blood vessels, nerves, hair follicles and sweat glands (Seely Stephens Tate 145). Cancer spreads by a group of cells or a single cell that breaks away from the tumor and moves to other parts of the body. Once there, it'll divide and start tumors, made of malignant cells, like the ones that mad up the first tumor (Ingraham 447). When this happens it is called metastic cancer. Metastatic cancer is defined as the transfer of disease from one part of the body to another, as in certain types of cancer (Funk & Wagnalls Dictionary 408.) . With many cancers, the usual first step in prevention is that the affected body part is removed. However, since a persons skin cannot be removed, in its entirety, this presents more of a problem to physicians. Skin cancer is somewhat curable when diagnosed and treated early. And, its somewhat preventable by avoiding sun and tanning bed exposure. Sunscreen is a simple, easy, and convenient artificial defense against skin cancer. There are three main types of skin cancer. Melanoma is the least common, but most serious because this type is responsible for at least three fourths of the skin cancer deaths per year (Encarta encyclopedia, cdrom). The other types of skin cancer are basal cell and squamous cell cancers. These two are referred to as non-melanoma skin cancers. Another rare type of skin cancer, known as Kaposi's sarcoma, is rarely seen (Barnes-Savarney, 177). The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell skin cancer. However, Melonoma is the fastest growing type of cancer, affecting approximately 32,000 americans in 1993 (Encarta Encyclopedi, cdrom). Melanoma is triggered by ultraviolet rays from the sun and is signaled by the growth or appearance of an irregular mole on the skin. The mole may be diagnosed based on its size, shape, color, or texture, or due to its tenderness or hardness. Developing skin cancer is a two step process. It involves initiation and promotion of malignant growth. Since the ultraviolet rays harm the mechanism for repairing cell damage, one the repair system is impaired, cells become increasingly vulnerable to injury. Subsequent ultraviolet exposure make it worse, and can inititate malignancy. After ultraviolet exposure, the repair mechanism in the body, normally directs damaged cells to commit suicide. This is the explanation for why skin peels after sun tanning and sun burns. However, previously damaged cells with a malfunctioning repair system escape this process. Genetic damage accumulates as normal cells die and abnormal ones survive. It's been determined that skin does not have to be burned to be damaged, and such damage accumulates with chronic, everyday exposure (Encarta cdrom). There are two types of ultraviolet radiation that reach the earth: ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B. Both contribute to skin damage, and