Skin cancer

There are many different skin cancers. The skin, the largest organ of our body, both maintains the body's temperature balance and protects it against external influences. One of the factors to which this organ is most exposed is sunlight, which is also the primary cause of skin cancer.

Skin cancers, which occur as a result of uncontrolled proliferation of cells on the skin surface due to damage to their DNA structures, are among the most common cancers all over the world. Since the main factor in the formation of lesions on the skin surface is sunlight, skin cancers develop in areas where the sun can affect them more, such as arms, legs, hands, chest area, ears, lips, face and neck. However, common forms of cancer occur more in areas with less sun exposure. The frequency of these lesions, which can be benign or malignant, is quite high. Although skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, it should be said that it is the cancer with the lowest loss of life.

Types of skin cancers

The fact that skin cancers are more visible than other cancers provides an advantage in terms of early detection. Skin cancers, which rank first in terms of incidence all over the world, are examined in three main groups. Cancers arising from melanocyte cells that give the skin its color are called "malignant melanoma". Cancers arising from basal cells are defined as "basal cell cancers", and cancers arising from squamous cells in the outer layer of the skin are defined as "squamous cell cancers".

Basal cell cancers: Basal cell cancers, which are among non-melanoma skin cancers, are responsible for approximately 80 percent of all skin cancers. Approximately eight out of every 10 skin cancers are basal cell cancers. Basal cell cancers, which originate from cells in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, grow slowly and rarely spread. Although it is more common in areas where the skin is exposed to the sun, it can also occur on the back or lower parts of the legs. Basal cell cancers, which occur more frequently in middle-aged and older people, tend to increase with age. It usually appears as a small, shiny lump or nodule on the skin and occurs more in people with fair skin and colored eyes.

Squamous cell cancers: These cancers, arising from squamous cells in the epidermis, are responsible for 16 percent of all skin cancers. Squamous cell cancers, which are among non-melanoma cancers, develop in areas that are heavily exposed to the sun for a long time, like basal cell cancers. The head, neck area, hands and the back of the wrist are the most common places where they are seen, and they are usually seen in people with fair skin. Squamous cell cancers often tend to spread into the fatty tissue just beneath the skin. Although rare, it can spread to distant organs and lymph nodes of the body.

Melanomas: Less common, melanoma originates from melanocyte cells responsible for producing pigment in the upper and lower layers of the skin. Melanoma, the most malignant of skin cancers, accounts for approximately 4 percent of all skin cancers. While it is very rare for non-melanoma cancers to spread to other parts of the body, melanomas often spread to surrounding tissue and other parts of the body. Although it is generally seen in light-skinned men and women, people of all skin types are at risk. Since melanomas have a very different structure and characteristics compared to other skin cancers, the treatment approach is also different. Therefore, you can learn more detailed information from our pages about melanoma.

Treatment of skin cancers

In the treatment of basal and squamous cell skin cancers, the method is determined by considering factors such as the type of cancer, its stage, whether it has spread, the age of the patient, and accompanying diseases. Surgery is a common treatment method for both types of cancer and different surgical techniques are used.

Cryosurgery; In this method, to destroy abnormal cells, small metal plates are cooled to freezing temperatures and placed in the area where the abnormal cells are located.

Simple excision, in which the tumor tissue is removed along with some of the surrounding healthy tissue, and laser surgery, which uses lasers to eliminate cells, are also among the surgical methods used.