Skin cancer treatment

Skin cancer is a very common problem. In the world, Australia, New Zealand and the USA lead in the number of new cases of melanoma reported per year. In Russia, as elsewhere in the world, morbidity statistics are growing.According to the World Health Organization, 132,000 new cases of melanoma are reported annually in the world. Most patients are elderly people, after 50 years the number of sick men is 2-3 times higher than women. But in young men and women, skin cancer develops quite often. According to epidemiologists, thisCancer in Russia is second only to lung cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer. In other words, this is not about some exotic disease, but about a real threat to health.Types of skin oncologyCommon skin cancers include:Basal cell carcinoma - this tumor is diagnosed in 7 cases of skin cancer out of 10. Basalioma looks like a nodule or scar of red-brown or pink color, which usually appears on the face. A neoplasm can sometimes itch, hurt or bleed - it slowly increases in size,without causing a person expressed discomfort, which is why a visit to a doctor may be delayed. Fortunately, this tumor rarely spreads throughout the body (gives metastases), therefore, the prognosis for patients is usually favorable.Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin (squamous cell carcinoma) often resembles a mushroom in shape: a round body with a thin leg. This tumor is similar to a wart: in most cases it is found on the surface of the face, in the region of the lower lip. In some varieties of squamous cell carcinoma, a neoplasm can be recognized only by a change in skin color: in the pathological areashe looks pale or sore. In the later stages, carcinoma leads to the formation of metastases and is sometimes incurable.Melanoma is an extremely dangerous type of tumor that causes most deaths in skin cancer. It develops most often from moles - accumulations of pigment cells, melanocytes, but not only: melanoma can also affect the retina, mucous membranes (oral cavity, vagina, rectum). This neoplasm is characterized by rapid growth and is prone to the formation of numerous distant metastases - in the bones, brain, lungs, liver. Evenwith timely treatment, patients with melanoma often have relapses - repeated tumor growth after several years.There are several basic methods for fighting skin cancer.Surgery is the most affordable way to get rid of a tumor. The greatest effectiveness of the operation is noted in the early stages, when the neoplasm does not affect the lymph nodes and other organs and tissues. After removal of the tumor, the surgeon performs cauterization (electrocoagulation) and curettage (curettage) of the wound surface to destroy the residual cancer cells. Since skin cancer often develops on the face, there are gentle interventions,which minimize aesthetic defects. These include cryodestruction, in which the tumor is frozen with liquid nitrogen and removed without severe tissue injury. However, it should be understood that in cases with aggressive types of cancer - squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma - it is impossible to make a choice in favor of the minimum volume of surgery. Micrographic surgery, according to the MOHS method (Mohsa), is considered the safest and most effective modern type of surgical intervention for skin cancer. With it, skin with tumor cells is removed in layers, under the control of a microscope, and each layer is directly induring the operation is sent for further examination to the laboratory. The surgeon stops the intervention only at the moment when histologists confirm that the wound is free of malignant cells.Radiotherapy is used as an adjunct to the surgical method. Radiation is detrimental to cells prone to rapid growth, therefore, directed beams of ionizing radiation can reduce the size of the tumor, as well as destroy those malignant cells that survived after surgery. The duration of radiotherapy sessions and the radiation dose is individual for each patient.Chemotherapy is systemic and local. With the appointment of this technique, cytotoxic (detrimental tocells) a chemical is injected intravenously or applied directly to the tumor. Such an approach is extremely important in identifying metastases when the foci of cancer are located outside the reach of surgeons.Photodynamic therapy involves the destruction of a tumor by a laser beam after preliminary photosensitization (increasing the sensitivity of cells to light). This method is relatively new, and its use without surgery is subject to discussion. However, the development of technology contributes to the fact that photodynamic therapy is gradually being introduced into the clinical practice of medical institutions.Immune and targeted therapy - sophisticated and promising techniques involving targeted targeting.tumors by stimulating the immune system or the introduction of drugs created specifically for a particular type of cancer based on the individual genetic characteristics of the patient. Some experts are sure that over time this area in oncology will replace all other methods of treating neoplasms, but so far, immune and targeted therapy are used in combination with other procedures and - for the prevention of relapses.Leave a request on our website and our specialists will contact you and help you choose the best clinic in accordance with your case absolutely free.