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Once cancer of the skin, further testing to determine if cancer has spread. This is called staging. The doctor needs to know the stage and type of skin cancer to plan treatment. The following stages are used for classification of treatment.

• Basal cell cancer: The basal cell cancer is the most common type of skin cancer melanoma. It usually occurs in skin areas that have been exposed to the sun. Often this cancer appears as a bump with a smooth appearance and pearl. Another type of this cancer has an appearance of scars, and is firm to touch. Basal cell cancers can spread to tissues around the cancer, but usually do not spread to other body parts.
• Squamous cell carcinoma: The squamous cell tumors also occur in skin areas that have been exposed to the sun, often on top of the nose, forehead, lower lip and hands. They may also appear on skin areas that have been burned, have been exposed to chemicals or radiation therapy. Usually this cancer appears as a bulge red and hard. Sometimes the tumor may have a scaly appearance, or may bleed or develop a crust. Squamous cell tumors can spread to the lymph nodes in the area (lymph nodes are small structures in the form of beans that are found throughout the body, whose function is to produce and store cells that fight infection).
• Actinic keratosis: Actinic keratosis is a non-cancerous disorder of the skin but some people may become basal cell cancer or squamous cell cancer. It appears on the skin as rough, scaly patches, red or brown, usually in areas that have been exposed to the sun
• Recurrent: Recurrent disease means the cancer has come back (recurred) after it has been treated.

Treatment of skin cancer

There are treatments for all patients with skin cancer. Uses three kinds of treatments:

1. Surgery (removing the cancer).
2. Chemotherapy (using drugs to kill cancer cells).
3. Radiation therapy (using x-rays to kill cancer cells).

Several skin cancers are treated by physicians specializing in skin diseases (dermatologist). Usually the cancer can be treated in a doctor.

Surgery is the most common treatment for skin cancer. The doctor may remove the cancer using one of the following methods:

• Electrodesiccation and curettage, operation in which electrical current is used to dehydrate the tumor (electrodesiccation), and then used a specialized instrument called a curette, to remove the tumor.
• Cryosurgery, operation in which freezes and destroys the tumor.
• Excision simple operation in which removes the skin cancer along with some healthy tissue located around it.
• Micrographic surgery, an operation that takes out the cancer and as little normal tissue as possible. During this surgery, the doctor removes the cancer and then uses a microscope to analyze the cancerous area to make sure that it is not any cancer cells.
• Laser therapy, in this procedure uses a highly concentrated beam of light that destroys only cancer cells.

The surgery may leave a scar on the skin. Depending on the size of the cancer, you can take skin from another part of the body to be in the area where you removed the cancer. This is called a skin graft. There are new surgical methods or through the graft which can reduce scarring.

Radiotherapy is the use of X-rays to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. Radiation therapy for skin cancer came from a machine outside the body (external radiation therapy).

Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells. The chemotherapy is often administered via a cream or lotion applied to the skin to kill cancer cells (topical chemotherapy). Chemotherapy may also be based pills, or you can enter the body through a needle into a vein or muscle. Chemotherapy given in this way is called a systemic treatment because the drug enters the bloodstream, travels through the body and can kill cancer cells outside the skin. Systemic chemotherapy is being evaluated in clinical trials.

The purpose of biologic therapy is to treat the very body that fight cancer. In biological therapy used substances produced by the body or made in a laboratory to boost, direct or restore the body’s natural defenses against disease. Biological therapy therapy is known as biological response modifier or immunotherapy (BRM).

In photodynamic therapy uses a certain type of light and special chemicals to kill cancer cells.

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Skin cancer is a disease in which cells are cancerous (malignant) in the outer layers of the skin. The skin protects the body against heat, light, infections and wounds. It also stores water, fat and vitamin D.

The skin is composed of two main layers and several kinds of cells. The outer layer of skin called the epidermis. It contains three kinds of cells: squamous cells in the form of flakes on the surface called squamous cells, round cells called basal cells and cells called melanocytes which give the skin its color.

The inner layer of skin called the dermis. This layer is thicker and contains blood vessels, nerves and sweat glands. Hair (hair) of the skin also grows in tiny pockets called follicles in the dermis. The dermis produces sweat, which helps cool the body, and oils that prevent dry skin.

There are several types of cancer that originate in the skin. The most common are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer, which are included in this summary of information.

These cancers of the skin cancers are called non-melanoma skin. Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that originates in melanocytes. It is not as common as breast cancer or basal cell skin cancer, squamous cell, but is much more serious.

Skin cancer is more common among people whose skin is whiter and have spent much time exposed to sunlight. Skin cancer can occur anywhere in the body but is most common in areas with greater exposure to sunlight as the face, neck, hands and arms.

The appearance of skin cancer can vary. The most common sign of skin cancer is a change in the appearance of the skin, such as growth or wound is not healing. Sometimes there may be a small bump. This bulge may be looking smooth, shiny, waxy, or may be red or reddish brown. The skin cancer may also appear as a red rough or scaly. Not all skin changes mean you have cancer, but should see a doctor when you notice a change.

If you have a spot or bump on the skin, the doctor may remove tissue for analysis under a microscope. This procedure is called a biopsy. The biopsy can usually be done in the doctor. Before the biopsy, is given a local anesthetic to numb the area for a short period.

Most skin cancers can be cured non-melanoma. The probability of recovery (prognosis) and choice of treatment depend on the type of skin cancer that you have and how far it has spread.

Other cancers that can affect the skin are cutaneous T-cell, a cancer of the lymphatic system, and Kaposi’s sarcoma. The cancers that have originated elsewhere in the body also can spread (metastasize) to the skin.

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