American first lady revealed in a national TV show that she had a skin cancer recently removed. With that news, skin cancer again got prominence again in the people’s minds. Skin cancer is one of the most prevalent and least discussed cancer worldwide.
First lady Laura Bush says she first thought a sore on her right shin that turned out to be skin cancer was an insect bite, she told Bob Shieffer on CBS “Face the Nation” aired Sunday. In late October, Mrs. Bush had a biopsy because the sore was not healing, and it was determined to be a squamous cell carcinoma.
The cancer affects the middle portion of the epidermal skin layer. It is more aggressive than basal cell cancer, the most common form of skin cancer. The second most common skin cancer, it afflicts more that 200,000 Americans each year and claims as many as 2,500 lives a year. The highest incidence occurs in Australia.
Risk Factors:
Males – Older than 50 years
Fair skin people
History of prior nonmelanoma skin cancer
Exposure to UV light (high cumulative dose) and exposure to chemical carcinogens (eg, arsenic, tar)
Chronic scarring condition and Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection (specific subtypes).
Causes:
Chronic exposure to sunlight causes most cases of SCC. It arises from the epidermis and resembles the squamous cells that comprise most of the upper layers of skin.
Lesions may also occur where skin has suffered certain kinds of injury, burns and scars. Cancer may affect sites previously exposed to x-rays or certain chemicals. people who have fair skin – such as First Lady Laura Bush – are at higher risk.
Treatment:
A biopsy will be performed to confirm the diagnosis of SCC. The choice of treatment is based on the type, size, location and depth of penetration of the tumor as well as the patient’s age and general state of health.
Latest News:Skin Cancer.org is hacked.
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