Malignant skin tumors are a fairly serious oncological disease, to which many people are too frivolous. Many simply have no idea how dangerous it can be. Therefore, they do not pay attention to their health, the early signs and symptoms of cancer, having established that it is possible to effectively defeat the disease, while it has not yet overcome the whole body. In order not to start oncology, you should carefully monitor your body, if you find any non-standard neoplasms, immediately go to the doctor. In this article, we will tell you in which cases there is cause for concern, what are the symptoms of this type of cancer, about existing diagnostic methods and treatment methods.
Features of the disease
Malignant skin tumors are found in a fairly large number of varieties. At the same time, they differ from each other both in the severity of treatment and in their very nature. There are types of skin cancer that are extremely rare or only in certain categories of the population. Other malignant skin tumors can occur in representatives of any gender and age.
Unlike most other oncological diseases, which simultaneously begin to develop in the early stages are almost asymptomatic, skin cancer is usually easy to detect at the time of its appearance. Almost always, a characteristic dangerous neoplasm appears on the surface of the body, which is easy to notice. So a person is obliged to pay attention to such a degenerated tissue in order to immediately seek help. In this case, there is a chance to defeat the disease as quickly as possible.
At risk
The appearance of a malignant tumor of the skin can be caused by a number of factors if a person does not monitor his health, is prone to injuries or hereditary factors. In most cases, the cause of skin cancer is not one, but several adverse manifestations, their combination. Modern scientists distinguish the following list of reasons that can provoke cancer to one degree or another:
- Unhealthy Lifestyle;
- smoking;
- non-observance of elementary rules of personal hygiene;
- malnutrition, in particular the use of a large number of carcinogenic products, as well as a lack of fiber and vitamins;
- wounds and injuries on the surface of the skin;
- race features;
- hereditary factors;
- prolonged exposure to the sun;
- excessive use of tanning beds;
- ionizing radiation;
- prolonged contact with carcinogenic substances (fuel oil, soot, coal tar, benzene, oil);
- advanced age (more than 50 years);
- work in the open air;
- low immunity;
- prolonged use of immunosuppressants and corticosteroids;
- other types of skin pathologies;
- prolonged exposure to high temperatures;
- AIDS;
- precancerous conditions;
- systemic lupus erythematosus;
- radiation and chemotherapy;
- hormonal changes.
It is worth noting that for different types of cancer the significance of certain factors may be different. For example, some benign, malignant skin tumors appear only in old age. Moreover, practice shows that most neoplasms, as a rule, appear in adults. Children are also prone to this ailment, but this happens to them much less frequently. The frequency of many malignant tumors depends on sexual and racial factors.
Cancer skin
A photo of a malignant skin tumor should be well understood by anyone who fears this disease, takes care to prevent it at an early stage. Different types of cancer, of course, look different. But at the same time, their main symptoms in the early stages remain similar. This is soreness, itching, burning, a characteristic red border around the tumor, bleeding.
Sudden darkening of a light area of the skin, soreness and enlargement of lymph nodes near the neoplasm, prolonged ulceration of the surface, consolidation of the skin area with its rise above the surface should also alert you.
If a skin lesion causes pain, this may indicate that the tumor began to grow into the subcutaneous and deep layers of tissues. Another option is that secondary inflammatory processes have begun.
In case of detection of any suspicious signs, the main thing is not to postpone your visit to the doctor for later. If the neoplasm on your body reminds you of a photo of a skin cancer, go see a doctor. In this case, there will be great chances for a favorable outcome.
Basal cell carcinoma
To protect yourself from a dangerous ailment, it is important to understand well which skin tumors are malignant. Scientists distinguish quite a few groups. The main ones include melanomas, non-melanoma tumors, tumors of the appendages of the skin. We will analyze the main types of these diseases, talk about those that are most common.
Basal cell skin cancer, or basal cell carcinoma, is a malignant tumor of the skin that develops in the basal layer of the skin epithelium. This type of cancer is very popular, it occurs in about 75% of cases. More often than not, older people (over 60) suffer from it. Of all the types of skin cancer, basal cell carcinoma develops most slowly and has a favorable prognosis. As a rule, this is a malignant tumor of the skin of the face, which appears on one of the sides of the nose bridge, nose wings, superciliary region, upper lip, nasolabial fold, on the temple. In some cases, basal cell carcinoma occurs on the neck or ears. It can grow to a sufficiently large size, grow through the skin and tissues lying below, causing damage to them. Due to the fact that basal cell growth is very slow, patients are in no hurry to consult a doctor, which can trigger the disease.
Most often, this type of cancer occurs completely suddenly, without any precursors, such as precancerous tumors. In the initial stage, its diameter is about two centimeters, it is easy to injure it, then it begins to bleed.
Unlike most other malignant tumors under the skin, basal cell carcinoma rarely gives metastases. It is even believed that this is a kind of middle form between a malignant and benign tumor. But nevertheless, by its histological features, it refers specifically to a malignant tumor under the skin.
The danger in this disease is cases where the pathology is localized around the eyes, in the area of the ear canal, in the folds above the lip, in the posterior groove of the auricle. The fact is that in these places it begins to grow especially quickly, causing damage to muscles, bone tissue, and the brain.
It is important to know how a malignant tumor looks on the skin in order to start its treatment in a timely manner. In most cases, basal cell carcinoma is removed without any consequences. In total, there are more than 20 types of malignant cells that can be attributed to this type of cancer. The most common are superficial, nodular, cystic, scleroderma-like, fibroepithelial clinical forms.
The signs and symptoms of each form of cancer are different. An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, to whom you should immediately seek help. You can see below in the photo what a malignant tumor on the skin looks like, which refers to nodal basal cell carcinoma. It occurs on the neck or scalp.
In the initial stage, you can recognize it by the appearance of dense small nodules (from 2 to 5 mm), which begin to gradually merge with each other. The tumor begins to grow slowly, and then disintegrates. A malignant tumor of the scalp turns into a deep ulcer with characteristic platy edges. From above it is covered with a purulent-necrotic crust.
Squamous cell carcinoma
Carcinoma is a squamous cell carcinoma that develops from skin keratinocytes. In the world, it occupies the third place in terms of prevalence, yielding also to melanoma. It affects people at any age, regardless of gender.
In the photo, a malignant tumor under the skin in squamous cell carcinoma is similar to an ulcer that can bleed. Because of this, she is often confused with burns or dermatitis. However, it, unlike them, does not decrease in size.
This formation can appear in different parts of the body. Most often at the junction of different skin surfaces. For example, on the lips, in the corners of the mouth or eyes, on the genitals, mucous membranes. Over time, metastases begin to appear. If the tumor is on the face, then the lymphatic system is almost always affected, its nodes increase in size, begin to hurt. In the future, even their decay is possible with ulceration of adjacent skin integuments. Metastases form in neighboring organs, but only when the disease is in an advanced stage.
The tumor itself develops slowly, which increases the chances of its timely detection and effective treatment. Moreover, at a late stage, the percentage of patient survival is minimal.
At the initial stage, squamous cell carcinoma looks like a formation in the form of an ulcer, a red seal or a cone with a diameter of not more than two centimeters. It is easy to injure him. The decisive factor for its appearance may be intense exposure to the sun. In the early stages, the tumor is easily treatable. To do this, use radiation or chemotherapy, surgical methods.
Melanoma
Melanoma is the second most common benign, malignant skin tumor. It develops from melanocytes - pigmented skin cells. It is diagnosed in 15% of all cases. More often than not, women suffer from it. Particularly high probability of developing such a disease in people after 50 years.
Melanoma is considered one of the most aggressive varieties of cancer, it should be very feared. The immune system responds extremely weakly to melanoma, allowing it to grow very quickly. In just a few weeks, it can develop from an initial stage to a life-threatening one. Also, it is characterized by intense metastasis to neighboring organs and lymph nodes.
This type of cancer has an extremely poor prognosis. Only at the very first stage as a result of removal can we expect a quick cure. The tumor begins to grow deep into the skin, penetrate into the cartilage, muscles, and other tissues. Mortality from melanoma occurs in 80% of all deaths from skin cancer.
Outwardly, melanoma is similar to a small speck of irregular shape a few millimeters wide. Signs that allow her to be diagnosed at an early stage are her bleeding and soreness. In color, it is usually dark blue or black, occasionally red. The tumor protrudes slightly above the surface of the skin, which in most cases becomes ulcerated. Sometimes whitish melanoma occurs, then it is especially difficult to diagnose it at an early stage.
The size of the tumor varies from two millimeters to several centimeters. It can appear on a clean area of the skin, but more often pigment spots, moles, warts are converted into it. At the same time, they change shape, color, size, can become asymmetric, with blurry and uneven edges. A kind of trigger for such a transformation is irradiation of the skin with sun rays, trauma to a benign neoplasm, the interaction of the skin with chemicals containing carcinogens.
More often, melanoma can be found on the chest, face and limbs. Less commonly, it appears on the toes and feet, on the palms. Probably the appearance of a tumor on the mucous membranes, for example, in the area of the vagina, mucous membrane of the mouth, eyes, in the anus.
One of the varieties of melanoma is lentigo. It grows long enough, and in appearance resembles seborrheic keratosis or flat lichen. The appearance of black nodules on it indicates the transition of cancer to the next stage. At risk are people with fair skin, low melanin in the body, especially if they live in the southern regions, where there is a lot of sun. Europeans get sick more often than Native Africans. Treatment for melanoma, like other malignant tumors, should be prompt. In this case, radiation or chemotherapy is used.
Appendage Tumors
Other types of skin cancer are much less common. In most cases, only computed tomography, MRI or biopsy helps to determine them.
For example, adenocarcinoma is a rare type of skin cancer that grows from glandular cells - sebaceous and sweat glands. This disease develops very slowly. Outwardly, it looks like a bundle of purple or blue that rises above the skin. Appears in the groin, axillary region, under the mammary glands in women.
Although the node grows slowly, it can sometimes reach 10 centimeters in diameter. The development of metastases and germination beyond the skin tissue is rare. In this case, after removal, a relapse is likely in the same place.
Diagnostics
It is often not easy to establish an oncological disease on the skin. In addition, it is required to establish how strongly neighboring bodies are involved in this process. Therefore, a single medical history and patient complaints are always not enough. Differential diagnosis of malignant skin tumors is carried out.
The most accurate and important method is a biopsy. A small piece of tissue is taken for analysis, which is carefully examined. If it turns out that not only the skin, but also the lymph nodes are affected, thermography and radioisotope methods are often used.
In some cases, there is a need for urography, radiography, CT and MRI of the kidneys and brain, ultrasound examination of the abdominal cavity, general tests of urine and blood. All this will help determine at what stage the disease is.
Treatment
The treatment technique, first of all, depends on the stage of the disease, its variety, the location of the tumor. Usually resort to surgical methods. In some cases, the tumor can be removed by laser destruction or cryodestruction.
It is important during surgery to remove not only the tumor itself, but also a strip of adjacent skin tissue up to two centimeters wide. If not only the skin is affected, but also the nearby lymph nodes, they should also be removed.
When the size of the tumor is large enough (it is believed that it is more than two centimeters), after removal it is necessary to begin local irradiation of the skin. General body irradiation is used only for the prevention of metastases. In this case, chemotherapy is used only as an auxiliary treatment method.
Prevention
You can protect yourself from this ailment with the help of the prevention of malignant skin tumors. It can be primary and secondary.
Prevention of malignant skin tumors includes primary, secondary and tertiary cancer prevention. The primary stage is a system of social and hygienic measures that are aimed at reducing and eliminating the negative effects of environmental factors on the body that can contribute to this ailment. It should be remembered that the malignancy is associated with the effects of industrial dyes, tar resins, and petroleum refined products.
Primary prevention measures include protection from sun exposure, personal hygiene and personal protection when working with household chemical products, dangerous carcinogens, protection of scars from mechanical damage, good hygiene in sexual life, the use of nourishing creams to prevent dry skin, the appearance of cracks on it.
Secondary prevention is aimed at the timely detection and treatment of cancer and precancerous diseases. It should be carried out by primary care physicians. This can be done with the help of comprehensive and individual preventive examinations, the formation of cancer risk groups.
Tertiary prevention is aimed at preventing the appearance of a tumor after radical methods of treatment. It consists in early detection, the fight against relapses, metachronous skin lesions.
Prevention of relapse is associated primarily with radical treatment of the primary tumor, ensuring its complete eradication. . , , .
After basal cell skin cancer, the patient is removed from the dispensary if the relapse does not appear within five years after the end of treatment. The system for the early diagnosis and prevention of skin cancer includes several levels of care. Including the conduct and organization of regular mass preventive examinations, registration of identified patients, the organization and implementation of health education among the population. At this stage, therapists, surgeons, general practitioners assist.