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Investigating OTC Drugs: Are Over-the-counter Drugs An Under-appreciated Toxic Danger?
Investigating OTC drugs: Are over-the-counter drugs an under-appreciated toxic danger?More About Stakeholder
The Department of Molecular Biosciences serves as the academic home for all nutritional, physiological chemistry, and pharmacologic and toxicologic programs of the School of Veterinary Medicine at UC Davis. The goal of the Department of Molecular Biosciences is to study fundamental biological processes and their perturbations by mutations, nutrition, drugs and xenobiotics and the application […]
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Pamela J LeinUniversity of California, Davis
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Liver Risks Of Pain Medication
Heading outside on a sunny day is a bit like going into battle. To protect your skin from harmful ultra-violet (UV) rays, you'll need armor (sunscreen or sunblock, and sun-protective clothing), tactical strategy (avoiding peak sun hours) and a place to retreat (the shade) — especially during the summer months, when UV intensity is highest.
Mind you, we need a little sunshine on our skin to trigger the production of vitamin D, keep bones strong and possibly help regulate mood and ward off illness. But unprotected UV exposure can cause skin cancers. The most common of these are non-melanoma skin cancers.
What are non-melanoma skin cancers?
To put it simply, non-melanoma skin cancers aren't melanomas — the aggressive skin cancers that account for just 1% of all skin cancer cases yet cause the majority of skin cancer deaths in the United States.
Extremely aggressive non-melanoma skin cancers are rare. Instead, the most common types, affecting millions of people per year, are slow-growing. They develop in basal cells (basal cell carcinomas, or BCCs) or squamous cells (squamous cell carcinomas, or SCCs).
These cancers don't usually spread to other parts of the body, and they aren't usually life-threatening. But they can be quite dangerous.
"Small skin cancers can bleed, hurt and eat away at your skin," says Dr. Abigail Waldman, director of the Mohs and Dermatologic Surgery Center at Harvardaff liated Brigham and Women's Hospital. "If left untreated, they can erode through important structures like your nose, eyes, bones or muscles. If they become very large, they can spread and, in rare cases, cause death."
Symptoms
While non-melanoma skin cancers can develop anywhere on the body, they typically show up in areas that have been exposed to the sun, such as the head, face, neck, ears, lips, arms, legs or hands.
The cancers may look like flat areas that differ only slightly from healthy skin, or they may have distinguishing features. SCCs can be scaly patches, crusty sores or wart like bumps. BCCs often have raised edges, a sunken center and visible blood vessels. They also can look like a pale scar, a sore that won't heal, a reddish patch or a bump that might have a number of colors (red, blue, brown or black).
Melanomas usually have brown, black or blue pigment of uneven color, jagged edges and an asymmetrical shape. They can be flat or lumpy. Many people have small brown, black or blue spots on their skin (lentigos), but their color is even, their edges are smooth, and their shape is symmetrical. Lentigos can turn into melanomas, so pigmented spots that start to change color or shape need to be evaluated.
Diagnosis
BCCs and SCCs are often found early (by you or your doctor), when they are easiest to treat.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor will take a look at a new or changing skin growth under a powerful magnifier. If the area looks suspicious, your doctor might remove a sample of the tissue (a biopsy) and send it to a lab for analysis. If the sample is positive for BCC or SCC, the cancer will need to be removed.
For large tumors, ask your doctor about additional testing.
Treatment
Non-melanoma skin cancer treatment depends on a cancer's specific type and features.
"For instance, an in situ (contained and not spreading) SCC on the cheek may be treated with a prescription cream. But an invasive SCC on the cheek would need to be removed with Mohs surgery," Waldman says.
Mohs micrographic surgery involves removing cancer a little bit at a time, to preserve as much healthy skin as possible. Once the edges are free of cancer, the surgery is complete.
Types of skin cancer
Basal cell carcinoma
■ Most common type
■ More frequent in people with fair skin
■ Looks like a flesh-colored, pearl-like bump or a pinkish patch of skin Squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous cell carcinoma
■ Looks like a red firm bump, a scaly patch or a sore that heals and then reopens
■ Tends to form on skin that gets frequent sun exposure
Melanoma
■ Deadliest type
■ Frequently develops in a mole or suddenly appears as a new dark spot
Prevent and detect
The best weapon to fight skin cancer is a strict regimen of prevention and detection. It should include these steps.
■Cover up: Apply sunscreen or sunblock with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 to 50 before you go outside. Protect your lips with a sun protection product made for them. If possible, wear a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, shoes and socks.
■Avoid direct sunlight: Stay out of the sun when it's strongest (between 10 a.M. And 4 p.M.), and seek the shade as much as possible.
■Be vigilant about detection: Schedule annual skin checkups with your doctor, and conduct your own exams at home each month. Don't forget your scalp and all the back surfaces of your body. A mirror (or a loved one) can help you check areas you can't see well.
■ Be proactive: Call your doctor if you fi nd any new skin growth that looks suspicious
Types of skin cancer
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