Skin Cancer
I don’t mind being pale - Taylor Swift
image by: Dean Hochman
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Lessons from a diagnosis of skin cancer
I have been diagnosed with skin cancer.
There really isn’t much special about that, since it is a distinction I share with over 2 million Americans who have a skin cancer removed every year. Fortunately, for most, it is a cancer that is not of particular concern since most can be removed. But even those “simple” surgeries–as I have learned from my own experience–can be a bit problematic.
Occasionally it helps to find some humor in difficult situations, and this is one of those times. And since I am generally pretty open about what goes on in my aging body–in an effort to help others understand that they are not alone on some of these issues–I have to hold myself…
Resources
SkinSight
Your awareness of the signs of skin cancer might allow you to find an early lesion on yourself or a loved one, before it is a significant health problem. Pre-cancerous skin changes include red, scaly lesions (especially on the face, ears, and backs of the hands) called actinic keratoses.
SkinScan
You can use skinScan to support skin self-assessments, identify atypical moles, and track moles over time all with the aim of catching melanoma at an earlier stage of the disease.
SkinVision
SkinVision makes it possible to detect skin cancer at an early stage when it’s most treatable and has less expensive treatment options. As a result, the early detection of skin cancer allows you to save on medical costs occurring from future treatment. Download SkinVision from the App Store or Google Play and start checking your skin now.
Should You Have a Scan for Skin Cancer?
Some doctors say individuals at high risk for skin cancer should have one head-to-toe exam a year.
The risk of skin cancer around the world
To help inform the public of the risks of UV radiation, the World Health Organization publishes UV index values for a range of countries around the globe. Organizations in many countries report, along with the daily weather conditions, the daily UV index. To compare the risks of skin cancer, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed and ranked UV values in select sites around the world.
Wearables can track your UV exposure, but preventing skin cancer isn’t so simple
Scientists still haven't figured out what a safe level of sun exposure is.
AI Versus Dermatologists At Diagnosing Skin Cancer: Here Are The Results
Is CNN better then dermatologists at detecting malignant melanomas? No, not CNN, the cable news network, but convolutional neural network (CNN), which is a type of AI or artificial intelligence. To answer this question, a team of researchers from the University of Heidelberg, the University of Göttingen, and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center pitted dermatologist versus computer in a study published in the journal the Annals of Oncology.
AI-Driven Dermatology Could Leave Dark-Skinned Patients Behind
Machine learning has the potential to save thousands of people from skin cancer each year—while putting others at greater risk.
Don’t Abandon Sunscreen Just Yet
People aren’t good enough at applying sunscreen for us to worry about the harms of its use.
Millennials Want to Tan, No Matter the Risks
So this isn’t a “kids are dumb about tanning” story, it’s a “younger adults are dumb about tanning” story. Specifically, the study involved 256 older college students (no freshmen) enrolled at “a major university in the southwestern United States,” as the authors cryptically state. And boy do they love tanning!
No, It's Not 'Just' Skin Cancer
Even though we now know better, there are still many who aren't doing better. The majority of Canadians recognize that skin cancer is dangerous -- yet we continue to see apathy around sun safety...
Skin Cancers Rise, Along With Questionable Treatments
The once sleepy field of dermatology is bustling these days, as baby boomers, who spent their youth largely unaware of the sun’s risk, hit old age. The number of skin cancer diagnoses in people over 65, along with corresponding biopsies and treatment, is soaring. But some in the specialty, as well as other medical experts, are beginning to question the necessity of aggressive screening and treatment, especially in frail, elderly patients, given that the majority of skin cancers are unlikely to be fatal.
The evolution of skin cancer
There have been many important breakthroughs in the evolution of skin cancer therapy, some on the surgical level, such as Mohs surgery, and some on the medical level, such as the dawn of the immunomodulators — all of which have significantly contributed to advancing skin cancer treatment...
There’s no such thing as a safe tan. Here’s what’s happening underneath your summer glow
There’s a lot to be said for sunshine – both good and bad. It’s our main source of vitamin D, which is essential for bone and muscle health. Populations with higher levels of sun exposure also have better blood pressure and mood levels, and fewer autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis. On the other hand, excess UV exposure is estimated to contribute to 95% of melanomas and 99% of non-melanoma skin cancers.
Why does Australia have so much skin cancer? (Hint: it’s not because of an ozone hole
Most Australians (and Kiwis) have the wrong type of skin for their environment. Basically, through migration, our two countries have been populated by many people with fair skin whose ancestors come from much less sunny climates. Lack of protective pigmentation leaves skin cells especially vulnerable to the DNA-damaging rays from the sun.
What Everyone Should Know About Skin Cancer
When we hear the word “cancer,” skin cancer is usually not the first thing to come to mind – but it’s actually the most common type of cancer in humans.
12 Things Dermatologists Who’ve Had Skin Cancer Want You To Know
You found an iffy mole. It might be cancerous–and could become deadly within weeks. Yet the dermatologist will not see you now, or possibly even for months. As melanoma rates skyrocket, a shocking derm shortage is putting millions of women’s lives at risk. But what’s more frightening, sinister even, is the underlying cause, one that’s being prioritized over your health: money.
14 Ways to Prevent Skin Cancer (Besides Sunscreen)
Of course, you need sunscreen: But skin cancer prevention requires so much more. Here’s expert advice on keeping your skin safe.
4 ways to protect against skin cancer (other than sunscreen)
While sunscreen is essential to lowering your risk for skin cancer, there are other simple, over-the-counter options you can incorporate into your summer skin protection routine.
6 skin cancer myths
Here are some common (and potentially dangerous) misconceptions about the sun and skin cancer. See if you're doing all you can to stay safe in the sun.
6 Surprising Things That Increase Your Skin Cancer Risk
Skipping sunscreen and hitting the tanning beds aren’t the only ways to increase your risk. Get to know all the risk factors, plus how you can stay cancer-free.
8 Facts You Need to Know About Skin Cancer
May is National Skin Cancer Prevention and Detection Month and Melanoma Awareness Month. As skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. and the most treatable, when caught early, it’s important to understand what you can do to protect yourself.
Are Gel Manicures Going to Give Me Skin Cancer?
The procedure hardens nail polish using UV light—but not enough to do serious damage.
Can Three Cups of Coffee a Day Reduce your Risk of Skin Cancer?
The answer is yes – According to data from a recent study, the caffeine contained in your coffee may have the ability to reduce your chance of developing basal cell carcinoma (BCC), one of the fastest growing skin cancers accounting for nearly 80% of all newly diagnosed skin cancers per year.
Computers Turn Medical Sleuths and Identify Skin Cancer
Algorithm works as reliably as board-certified dermatologists, study shows
How Do the Chemicals in Sunscreen Protect Our Skin from Damage?
Recognition of the risks posed by UV rays has motivated scientists to study what’s going on in our cells when they’re in the sun—and devise modern ways to ward off that damage.
How Hairdressers Can Help Fight Skin Cancer
Public officials think hair stylists could play a vital role in physical health, too, by helping spot potentially cancerous skin lesions on their clients' scalp, neck and face. Research published Monday in the Archives of Dermatology suggests some stylists and barbers are already informally performing these skin cancer exams on clients.
Married People Less Likely to Die From Melanoma
Married people are more likely than the unmarried to get timely diagnosis and treatment for malignant skin cancer. Early detection of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is essential to effective treatment. The five-year survival rate for stage 1 disease is more than 98 percent, but by stage 3, the rate declines to 62 percent.
Should You Get Screened for Skin Cancer?
To decide whether you should get screened, here are some guideposts on skin cancer research and the views of some experts...
Skin Cancer on the Rise in Young Women
Experts say that tanning beds are a major factor behind the increase in all three types of skin cancer for young women. More than 20 million people use tanning beds each year, and 70 percent of customers are young white women, who are at increased risk of developing skin cancer.
Skin Cancer Survival Story, Mixed with Hard-Won Humor
Everything will heal beautifully. But right now I’ve got more stitches than I care to count, plus a long flowing conga line of staples.
Sunscreens - Are They An Oxymoron?
It's everywhere and everybody does it…uses sunscreen, that is. But could sunscreens be causing more harm than good?
The 5 Skin Cancer Mistakes We All Make
Rates of melanoma have risen 800 percent over the past four decades, making it the most common cancer among women ages 25 to 29 today — and rates of squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas (once considered “old lady” cancers) have shot up 700 and 100 percent, respectively, among women under 40. So what are our misconceptions about skin cancer, and how can we all do better, starting now?
These Two Types Of Skin Cancer Are On The Rise
According to the researchers, two types of non-melanoma skin cancer — squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) — have increased significantly...
What to Watch for After Skin Cancer
After patients have had a basal cell carcinoma the risk of another increases by 40%, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Squamous cell cancers can also recur, often within two years of removal. Patients with both types of non-melanoma cancers are also are at increased risk for developing melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer. And recent studies have found patients with non-melanoma skin cancers have an increased risk of a second primary cancer, including a breast and lung cancer in women and prostate cancer in men.
Why SPF doesn't really matter and other sunscreen facts
Sunscreen is one of the most popular forms of protection from the sun's damaging rays. But how and why it works is often met with confusion. Here's what you need to know...
Lessons from a diagnosis of skin cancer
So I will take my experience and hopefully be the better and the healthier for it. I will continue to educate and cajole about being safe in the sun.
AIM at Melanoma
A melanoma diagnosis can lead to many unanswered questions. Aim for Answers makes finding the right information easier, by providing patients, caregivers and family members, with everything they need to know about melanoma.
Melanoma March
Melanoma March was established in 2012 by a Sydney businessman who lost his 18 year old son to melanoma. The inaugural Melanoma March, held in Manly, was a local event honouring the memory of those who had been lost to melanoma, while also providing an opportunity to raise vital funds and awareness. The event quickly grew, becoming a national initiative of Melanoma Institute Australia and the major annual fundraising campaign to support ongoing melanoma research.
Save Your Skin Foundation
A community of volunteers determined to eliminate melanoma through research and education, and dedicated to those touched by it.
Shade Foundation of America
Our awareness programs are aimed to reach a broad audience so that no matter what your age, you will see how prevention and early detection pertains to you.
An Introduction to Skin Cancer
Our intention is to provide a general introduction to Skin Cancer, with links to specific information available around the Net.
British Skin Foundation
We are leading the fight against skin disease and cancer
Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation
The Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation is dedicated to the elimination of skin cancers through education, awareness, advocacy and research.
Children's Melanoma Prevention Foundation
The Children's Melanoma Prevention Foundation was created to educate school children on the proven methods of sun protection and skin cancer prevention.
European Skin Cancer Foundation
The European Skin Cancer Foundation aims to assist in developing and providing standardized prevention strategies and treatment guidelines on a European level, contributing thus to better primary and secondary prevention of these malignancies as well as to dissemination of best treatment practices through training and exchange of knowledge.
Melanoma Education Foundation
The Melanoma Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization devoted to saving lives from melanoma, a common skin cancer that is often deadly unless detected early before there are any symptoms. The Foundation increases awareness of melanoma...
Melanoma International Foundation
A future where top-notch melanoma treatment is accessible to all patients globally. Established in 2003, the Melanoma International Foundation (MIF) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization created to provide the scientifically sound guidance and support our founder could not find when she was diagnosed with melanoma.
Melanoma Research Foundation
The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) is the largest independent organization devoted to melanoma. Committed to the support of medical research in finding effective treatments and eventually a cure for melanoma, the MRF also educates patients and physicians about prevention, diagnosis and the treatment of melanoma.
National Cancer Institute
Information about skin cancer treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, immunotherapy, and vaccine therapy.
National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention has been a trusted resource for the nation’s skin cancer prevention community for over a decade. Our members are the nation’s premier researchers, clinicians, and advocates for melanoma and skin cancer prevention.
Skin & Cancer Foundation
The Skin & Cancer Foundation is a not-for-profit, DGR registered, non government funded organisation which provides specialist treatment for a wide variety of skin diseases with an overall aim of skin health led by dermatologists.
Skin Cancer Foundation
The Skin Cancer Foundation has set the standard for educating the public and the medical profession about skin cancer, its prevention by means of sun protection, and the need for early detection and prompt, effective treatment.
The American Melanoma Foundation
The American Melanoma Foundation is a voluntary health agency, registered as a 501(c)(3) charitable, non-profit organization. AMF is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors dedicated to serving the needs of patients and communities nationwide, and is a member of the National Council On Skin Cancer Prevention
The Skin Hospital
The Skin Hospital is a world-class centre for dermatology providing leading-edge treatments and the highest standard of care for all skin conditions, including skin cancer.
The World Skin Cancer Foundation
The World Skin Cancer Foundation (WSCF) is a not-for-profit group that was founded in 2005 in Cocoa Beach, Florida to educate the public regarding the cause of the majority of skin cancer cases: unprotected sun exposure.
BC Cancer
A resource for health care professionals and members of the public who wish to explore the clinical characteristics of common skin cancers and pre-cancers.
Cancer Research UK
If you are looking for information about the skin cancer that develops from abnormal moles (melanoma) this is not the right section for you. There is a separate section about melanoma.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
About a million people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every year. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States.
CancerCompass
Cancer of the skin is the most common kind of cancer. And, because it is visible, it is the most easily diagnosed and treated. It is estimated that between 300,000 and 600,000 skin cancers are treated every year. With the exception of malignant melanoma, skin cancer is also the most curable of all cancers.
CancerConnection.com
A new or recurrent diagnosis of skin cancer often results in fear and confusion for patients and their family members. Understanding treatment options, accessing new and innovative therapies through clinical trials, as well as understanding the role of supportive care and complementary and alternative medicine are essential.
eMedicineHealth
Treatment for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma is straightforward. Usually, surgical removal of the lesion is adequate.
Macmillan Cancer Support
Skin cancer information centre.
MedlinePlus
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. The two most common types are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer.
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