Skin cancer, one of the most aggressive cancers

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the body. There are several types and the most frequent is the basal cell carcinoma which does not cause mortality, and only the malignant melanoma can be qualified as aggressive since being very small as 1 cm can cause metastasis in a vital organ such as the brain or lung and cause death.

Appropriate measures are not yet being taken

There is already a general awareness that the sun is the main cause of skin cancer. However, precautions to avoid sunburn or to check moles at least once a month by self-examination are still not widely taken. This measure is not widespread and would save many lives.

The best prevention, periodic check-ups

We have been warning for many years about the need to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun. Also the need to check moles periodically. These measures are being implemented especially in those people who are considered to be at risk: fair skin, more than 50 moles, family history of melanoma, etc. We believe that all these measures are contributing to the current improvement in melanoma survival.

Risk factors other than the sun

We can summarize the risk factors for skin cancer in the following characteristics: fair skin, chronic sun exposure or tanning booths, having suffered many sunburns, having a family history of skin cancer, exposure to chemicals such as arsenic, tar or nicotine, immunosuppressed patients such as transplant recipients, people with human papillomavirus infections and those with more than 50 moles.

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Symptoms of skin cancer

Any change on the surface of the skin that does not disappear within a minimum period of one month. Those lumps or warts that grow slowly and progressively, ulcers that do not heal, rough skin to the touch in sun-exposed areas, and especially moles or nevi that reappear or change by increasing in size, changing color or presenting subjective symptoms such as bleeding, itching, growth.

The three areas of high progression

There are three areas where progression is being very important:

  • In early detection through the use of computers that help in the analysis of images.
  • Treatments for advanced cancers, which until recently were fatal and are now becoming long-term diseases.
  • Mohs Micrographic surgery achieves cure rates of 98% by analyzing the tumor at the time of surgery.