April 8, 2018

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma

 
Basal Cell Carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. But, it rarely kills anyone or metastasises, but is still considered to be malignant due to the fact that it can cause significant damage and disfigurement. About 30% of Caucasians will develop basal cell carcinoma in their lifespan.
 

symptoms

 
Signs include shiny, pearly nodules. But there can also be red patches that look like eczema. It is often difficult to tell if one has basal cell carcinoma unless the skin is examined by a doctor.  It often resembles acne scars, actinic keratosis, and cryodestruction inflammation. It most often occurs in areas that are exposed to the sun. most of the cases occurs in the head and neck area .
 
To diagnose basal cell carcinoma, a doctor will do a skin biopsy.  This entails taking a small piece of the skin and sending it to a lab to be examined. Under local anaesthesia, a shave biopsy could be done. There are other methods, but a shave biopsy is the most common.
 
Examine your skin on a monthly basis.  If you notice any of the following, schedule a doctor’s appointment to have your skin looked at:
 
  • An open sore that bleeds, oozes and crusts over could be a sign of Basal cell carcinoma (BCC). This sore could heal up and then bleed again. A sore that does not heal is often a sign of BCC.
 
  • Any reddish patches that are irritated, itch and crust over could also be a sign of BCC.  They may form on the face, shoulders, chest, arms and legs.
 
  • A shiny or pearly nodule that is either pink, white or red. These are often confused with moles and can be tan, brown or black in color in darker haired persons.
 
  • A pink growth on the skin that has blood vessels that are developing on the surface. It will have a little elevated rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center.
 
  • A scar like area could be a sign of BCC.  If it is white, yellow or waxy in appearance, and has poorly defined borders with shiny and taut skin, BCC may be present. This could signify that there is invasive BCC that is larger than it appears to be.
 

How to Prevent?

 
There are many things that one can do to prevent Basal Cell Carcinoma.  First off, do not allow the skin to burn, and always apply sunscreen. It is best to apply sunscreen 20 to 30 minutes before heading outdoors to allow it time to soak into the skin.  Reapply every 2 hours.  Use a sunscreen that is at least SPF 15, if not higher.   Seek shade when you are outdoors and avoid the sun from 10 AM to 4 PM.  Wear sunglasses and wide brimmed hats and light long sleeved clothing. Avoid tanning beds and booths at all costs.
 

Treatment

 
If you are unfortunate enough to have basal cell carcinoma, there are many treatment options you and your doctor can discuss.  Using local anesthesia, your dermatologist could perform Mohs Micrographic surgery. A very thin layer of the tissue with the tumor is removed.  The tissue will be examined under a microscope, and if the tumor is still present in the layer examined, the process will be repeated until it is tumor free. This treatment has the highest cure rate.
 
Excisional surgery is also done. Using local anesthesia, a scalpel will remove the growth along with normal skin around the cancer. The skin will be closed with stitches and the tissue is sent to a lab to determine if all the malignant cells have been removed. About 90% of patients have been cured using this treatment.
 
The good thing is that BCC is treatable.  Yet, it is also prevented by taking proper precautions.

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Ichthyosis (ick-thee-OH-sis) is a skin disease that causes extremely dry, thick, and scaly skin resembles fish scales.

These are a heterogeneous group of disorders with both inherited and acquired forms. these are the types
Ichthyosis Vulgaris- Most common type of icthyosis Lamellar Ichthyosis- Lamellar ichthyosis is characterized by dark, plate (armor)-like scale. Epidermolytic Hyperkeratosis- characterized by generalized redness and fine white scale Congenital Ichthyosiform Erythroderma- newborn infant with ichthyosis who presented at birth with collodion baby appearance. X-linked Ichthyosis- due to a defect in the enzyme steroid sulfatase, affects males with generalized scaling that usually begins soon after birth.

Ichthyosis Treatment

Several hours each day may need to be devoted the skin if ichthyosis is present in an individual. Daily, a person will need to take a shower or a bath. The skin should be exfoliated on a daily basis, and moisturised well. Moisturising ointments or creams may need to be prescribed by a dermatologist for the individual. Oral retinoids can be prescribed to reduce scaling. If a secondary infection occurs on the skin, oral antibiotics will need to be prescribed. Tips that will help keep the skin looking and feeling its best include applying a good quality lotion within 3 minutes of bathing. Apply to wet skin to keep moisture trapped into the skin. Products that contain lactic acid, alpha hydroxy acids and urea will help to keep skin not only moisturised but also exfoliated. Rubbing a wet pumice stone over crusty scales on the skin can help to remove them. Should there be scales on the scalp, brushing wet hair gently will aid in removing the scales.  

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