Malignant skin formation is most often represented by a disease such as skin carcinoma, which is also divided into species. The risk of the disease increases with age, with carcinoma of the skin the age of patients in most cases exceeds 50 years.
Concept of skin carcinoma
Cancerous cells in the skin mostly grow in the epithelial layer and sometimes capture hair follicles. Atypical change of skin cells leads to their degeneration and malignancy, the reasons for this condition are in fact very many.
Types of
Oncologists subdivide skin cancer into several species depending on the cellular structure of the growing tumor:
- Basal cell carcinoma of the skin begins to form from a deep basal layer of the epidermis. It is considered the least dangerous, as it grows slowly and rarely metastasizes. Initially, a person can only observe the appearance of a small speck with itching and soreness. The danger arises if the tumor is located near the eye, next to the brain.
- Squamous cell carcinoma is formed from keratinocytes, the surface cells of the epidermis. It is often formed on the site of precancerous changes on the skin, can metastasize in a number of located tissues. Squamous cell carcinoma is detected in those parts of the body where one layer of skin passes into the other. An example of this arrangement is the corner of the eye or mouth.
- Melanoma is formed from melanocytes - pigment cells of the epidermis. This type of skin cancer is considered the most aggressive, the neoplasm can begin to grow both in the places of the nevus and in the unchanged part of the body.
The photo shows basal cell carcinoma of the skin
In very rare cases, people are also diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, a tumor that forms on the site of sweat and sebaceous glands.
It is customary to classify malignant skin formation and growth characteristics.
- Superficial form of skin cancer manifests itself in the form of a spot, knots of a yellowish or white hue. At the beginning of his growth of subjective changes the patient does not deliver. Then there is itching, periodic burning, soreness, in the nodule or spot in the middle, a drowsy groove and ulcer is formed. The superficial form is more typical for the basal cell type of cancer.
- The infiltrative form is characterized by rapid germination in depth. A nodule or spot is shown, a dense roller appears on their perimeter, as it dies, it becomes grayish or almost black, and an unpleasant smell may appear. Infiltrative spread is more typical of basal cell carcinoma.
- The papillary form may also be termed mushroom or fungous. Externally it looks like a mushroom attached to the skin with a thin or thick stalk. On the surface can be a lot of small papillomas and then the tumor looks like an inflorescence of cauliflower. Most often the papillary form affects the genitals, the lower part of the trunk, can be localized on the lower lip. More men with this form of carcinoma. Neoplasm quickly grows and metastasizes, with this form the symptoms of cancer intoxication are strongly pronounced.
Causes of
It has been found that malignant degeneration of epidermal cells in most cases is provoked by excessive ultraviolet irradiation.
This fact is proved also by statistical data, according to which the majority of patients with cancers on the skin live in those areas where most of the year is sunny and warm. There is also a greater number of people whose professions are related to the need to work outdoors.
The danger of pathology development is increased in people with fair skin - redheads, blondes and having more than 50 birthmarks on the body.
After determining the negative influence of UV irradiation, several factors predisposing to skin cancer are also distinguished:
- Effects on the skin of chemicals with carcinogenic properties - tar, arsenic, lubricants.
- The effect of radiation.
- Thermal factors, since cancers can start on the burn site or manifest after radiation dermatitis.
- Traumatization of moles, pigment spots, scars.
- Heredity.
- Precancerous skin conditions - leukoplakia, senile keratoma, melaneopathic nevuses, Bowen's disease.
- Chronic inflammatory changes on the skin - ulcers, manifestations of syphilis, tuberculosis.
- Weakened immune system.
- Age over 50 years.
The main symptomatology of
Symptoms of skin carcinoma can be manifested in different ways. The main symptoms are divided into local and general. To the local carry all the changes on the skin and this is most often:
- Appearance in a specific place of the body spot, nodule, plaque. These changes do not go away, but gradually increase in size, their vertical growth is noted, sprouting deep or widening in size.
- After a while, on the place of formation of the neoplasm appears burning, itching, tingling pain. As the disease develops, these sensations become brighter.
- On the surface of sunspots, nodules, outgrowths, ulcers that do not heal. Ulcers spread rapidly, seizing nearby skin.
In melanoma, birthmarks are most often the cancerous degeneration, while they begin to grow rapidly in size, bleed, their edges become uneven. The growth rate of cancerous growth on the skin varies. All stages of the disease can, as take a few months, and continue for more than 20 years.
The general manifestations of cancer include:
- The development of lethargy, a constant sense of fatigue.
- Lack of appetite, in later stages - cachexia.
- Enlargement of lymph nodes.
- Increased body temperature.
Cancer intoxication, persistent pains have a negative effect on the nervous system. The aching person becomes unrestrained, irritable, the sleep suffers.
For skin cancer is characterized by a gradual development of severe complications. Malignant tumor, germinating deep into, affects muscles, ligaments and destroys them. When the cancer is placed on the face, the organs of vision, hearing, and the brain are involved in the pathological process and this can lead to hearing loss, a drop in vision. Part of the patients develop meningitis, sinusitis.
Metastases first affect the lymphatic vessels, then the internal organs and develop cancer of the stomach, lungs, kidneys, adrenals, and the breast.
Diagnostic methods
Presumptive diagnosis is made to the patient by an oncologist after examination and palpation of the formation, nearby tissues and lymph nodes. For confirmation, a number of diagnostic procedures are assigned, among them, histological examination and cytology are critical for the diagnosis.
Cytological examination is carried out by the method of microscopy of smears-prints taken from the surface of allegedly cancerous expressions. Histology is performed on tissue specimens taken with a puncture needle or separated from a distant tumor. Histological examination is necessary to identify the type of atypical cells.
To detect metastases or primary focus is assigned ultrasound of internal organs, computed tomography, X-ray.
Treatment
The treatment of patients with skin carcinoma is selected individually. It takes into account the type of cancer education, the location of its localization, the size and involvement in the process of surrounding and deep tissues, the age of the patient.
Basically, surgical removal of the tumor is used, with the capture of several inches surrounding the formation of the skin, if necessary muscles, bones. After some types of tumor removal, the patient is subsequently given plastic surgery.
Excision of cancerous changes on the skin can be performed with a laser, this minimizes the risk of bleeding and leads to a good cosmetic result, that is, to the least scarring. Small tumors can be removed by electrocoagulation of tissues, cryodestruction.
Often both before and after the operation, several sessions of radiation exposure are assigned. This method of treatment is also necessary to suppress the resulting metastases and is used when the detected cancer is in an inoperable stage. In some types of skin cancer, positive results can be achieved with the help of general and local chemotherapy.
The recovery of the patient in more than 90% is observed with the first and the zero stage of cancers. Increased risk of recurrence of the disease in the first five years after the main course of therapy.