Skin Cancer •

Your Skin Needs Protection

Jul 19, 2016 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

Sunscreen that protects your skin on the sand.

Protect your skin this summer.

Even if you enjoy spending a lot of time in the sun, you better take care of your skin because it seems that prolonged sun exposure is not that healthy as there are a lot of side-effects in exchange for this recreational activity.

According to Dr. Albert Rivera, Southeastern Skin and Dermatology dermatologist from Madison, any type of tan means sun damage, as there is no such thing as a 100 percent safe tan. Dr. Rivera underlined that when you get tanned, it means that your skin is trying to respond to sun damage and protect itself.

Despite the fact that the market is rich in many sunscreen products, oils, sprays, and creams, not all of them are efficient or healthy. Some people are allergic to chemical sunscreens, and oils can clog the pores, and that is not okay.

Sprays are not recommended because they do not cover all areas well, and they are dangerous for children because some of the ingredients might be inhaled. If you get sunburnt for five times in your life, then you will have a higher risk of developing melanoma which is the deadliest type of skin cancer.

There are other two types of skin cancer, but none of them are fatal. It is recommended for people to reapply sunscreen at every two hours, after excessive sweating, or swimming because no product is waterproof regardless of the fact that its label might say so.

Also, people should look for products that have the broad spectrum label on them, meaning that the sunscreen is efficient against both UVA and UVB rays. These are the two types of ultraviolet rays. UVB rays are shorter than UVA rays, but they are more common and usually responsible for sunburns.

UVA rays have a longer wavelength, and they can penetrate the skin deeper increasing the risk of skin cancer. Regarding the sun protection factor (SPF), experts recommend people to go for an SPF 30 sunscreen because it blocks 98 percent of the UV rays.

SPF 15 products provide only 93 percent protection, whereas anything higher than SPF 30 offers only a little additional protection, and these products are more expensive as well. Sunscreen should be applied to all exposed areas such as the scalp, if you are bald, behind the ears, the tops of the feet, between the toes.

Plus, it is better to have someone apply sunscreen on your back to make sure that the entire area is covered. According to experts, if you protect your skin, you will also enjoy summer without worrying about sunburns.

Image Source:Pixabay

Skin Cancer Cases on The Rise

Jul 4, 2016 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

More skin cancer cases have been reported this year.

Doctors are more and more concerned about the fact that skin cancer has taken its toll on many citizens over the past few years.

Based on the statistics from Cancer Research UK, over 10,000 people above 55 years old have been diagnosed with melanoma this year, while twenty years ago only 3,100 cases were reported annually.

In other words, the rates of melanoma have almost tripled over the past two decades proving that the present situation is more than critical.

Worse, the number of cases is expected to increase if people do not take active measures to protect themselves from the UV rays. Also, everyone should make sure that they have enough vitamin D in their organism.

The Humber and Yorkshire had the highest number of cases with about 640 people, whereas the whole age group from these regions reached 1,000 cases.

There are three types of skin cancer with melanoma being the one that might lead to death. Experts believe that the leading cause of melanoma originates from the weak holiday sun protection package on which most people relied over the past three decades.

According to Nicki Embleton, Yorkshire Cancer Research UK spokesperson, sunburns do not cause skin cancer immediately, but without proper protection, they will most likely lead in time to severe consequences on our health.

With melanoma cases on the rise, people need to become more aware that they are also under the risk of developing this devastating disease. Cancer prevention is not something to joke about but a serious matter that should be taken into consideration by everyone.

Melanoma causes around 2,000 deaths every year among people over 55 years old, and it is the fifth most common cancer in the United Kingdom.

Experts strongly recommend people to stick to a correct sun protection package which includes protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, hats, and UV protecting sunglasses.

Also, beachgoers must avoid the hottest hours of the day starting from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at least, but as the weather is highly unstable nowadays, sometimes the risk of sunburns remains until evening hours.

UV rays are divided into A and B types but even if UVB rays are more common, the exposure to UVA rays increases the risk of skin cancer development as they can penetrate the skin deeper. A healthy sunscreen product with ‘broad spectrum’ label might prove to be a wise choice.

Image Source:Wikipedia

The Best Strategy Against UV Rays

Jun 28, 2016 By Benjamin Teh Leave a Comment

Protect yourself against UV rays.

Most people are excited about summer time and that they can enjoy an excellent sunbathing. However, UV rays are still out there, so we need to know what is our best bet against them.

According to Jennifer Trudeau, Clinton County Health Department Registered Professional Nurse, you can prevent ultraviolet rays from harming your skin by choosing a safe and healthy sunscreen product.

UV rays are of two types: UVA rays and UVB rays. Even if UVB rays are more common, they are shorter and less dangerous than UVA rays which can penetrate the skin deeper, thus increasing the risk of developing skin cancer.

Besides cancer, prolonged exposure to the sun rays can lead to other symptoms, such as fatigue, nausea, fever, and headaches. Also, your skin might become swollen, tender, and red.

Experts usually recommend an SPF 30 sunscreen because it offers 97 percent protection against the sun rays. SPF comes from sun protection factor, and it shows the level of protection which the product provides you.

Products with higher SPF do not provide a much greater level of protection compared with the SPF30 sunscreen. Scientists recommend as well, that customers should look for products that have a broad spectrum label to make sure that they will be protected against both A and B ultraviolet rays.

Sunscreen should be applied 20 minutes before sun exposure, and it should be reapplied at every two hours. In addition to this, experts advise people to reapply it also after swimming and excessive sweating.

Some ingredients were found to be dangerous for the skin. Some consumers can also be allergic to other ingredients, so the best way to prevent a rash or other allergic reaction would be for people to use a little drop of the sunscreen and rub it on their wrist to see if their skin experiences any change after 24 hours.

It is also worth mentioning that customers should never rely on the ‘waterproof’ label because every product loses its efficiency in contact with water or sweat. People need to check the expiration date to avoid any possible consequences for their health.

Parents must not use sunscreen on children younger than six months. Regarding the other parts of the sun protection package, scientists advise people to wear long sleeved shirts, hats, and sunglasses. It is also crucial for us to avoid exposure to the UV rays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. because these are the hottest hours of the day.

Image Source:Sunology

New Therapy Against Melanoma

May 24, 2016 By Graziella Paone Leave a Comment

Melanoma can be treated.

Everyone already knows that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S., and the worst form of this cancer is melanoma. Plus, now that summer is close, we have longer days and more exposure to the sun.

Despite the fact that melanoma is the rarest form of skin cancer, it still affects 2,500 people just in New Jersey and kills around 10,000 people throughout the U.S. every year. Many efforts are made to properly inform and educate people so that they can prevent the disease or stop its development.

Over the last few years, scientists managed to find new ways to prevent and treat melanoma. Radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery are the most popular treatments for melanoma, but scientists have recently found various ways to treat melanoma which have been already approved by the FDA. Moreover, they proved to improve the quality of life and patient survival.

One of them is immunotherapy, which triggers the body to use its defenses to fight the disease. Plus, researchers are still trying to understand more about the PD-L1/ PD-1 pathway used by cancer cells as a method to avoid being recognized and attacked by the body’s natural immune fighters, the T cells.

They way immunotherapy drugs work is by blocking this pathway and allowing T cells to do their job. These drugs are also known as ‘checkpoint inhibitors.’ They have proved to be a success until now. Investigators from the Rutgers Cancer Institute discovered that some of these drugs have an anti-tumor response in fighting several forms of cancer and also melanoma.

Another method of treatment is the oncolytic virus therapy. Scientists managed to manipulate these viruses in the laboratory and used them to target and kill cancer cells. This mechanism, just as the previous one, triggers the immune system to fight against cancer. This method of treatment is administrated through an injection into the tumor itself. The oncolytic virus therapy was first approved as a melanoma treatment in October 2015.

After the success of these two types of therapy mentioned before, the state of the melanoma patients has significantly improved and the whole effect of these drug approvals might take another few years to be understood. Now, the progress brought by these methods of treatment might be used not only to fight back melanoma but to treat other forms of cancer as well.

Image Source:Wikipedia

Protection Against Skin Cancer

May 9, 2016 By Jose Buttner Leave a Comment

Protect yourself against skin cancer.

Our sensorial approach to the environment depends very much on our skin meaning that is crucial to protect it especially against skin cancer. Skin is the largest organ of our body. It allows us to feel a the thinnest spider web on our face, the wind and everything we touch.

The most exposed body parts to skin cancer are our face and head, ears, backs of forearms and hands. They are the most likely to develop the disease. According to the head of Coastal Valley Dermatology, Dr. Roya Javid, as we get older our immune system weakens making us more vulnerable in front of any disease.

There are three types of skin cancer: melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, which is the most frequent, and the second most common, squamous cell carcinoma. The last two rarely move around, and you can get rid of them through an outpatient procedure.

The third is way different than the others, as it is lethal and it can spread in the entire body. The biggest chance to get a cure is to detect the disease when it is only on the first layer of the skin. After it reached into the second one, it might go into the lymphatic system and metastasize, just as lung cancer and several other types of cancer that can spread into your body.

According to her, sun radiation is not always the cause of melanoma. You can develop the disease at the bottom of your feet, your eyes or even in areas which are almost never exposed to the sun. Experts still need time to understand how the melanoma cells can multiply so fast.

There is also the fact that some moles are closer to benign, and others are closer to melanoma. Various factors such as where they are and their size determine the diagnose and which type of treatment is needed to stop to disease.

The abnormal moles almost always represent a risk, meaning that it would be better to excise all of them. People who have these types of moles are advised to visit the doctor on a regular basis, because the source, the type and the symptoms of the skin cancer depend on every person.

Image Source:Wikipedia

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