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Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers spread around the world. It has many types and often affects areas exposed to the sun. Early detection increases the chances of treating skin cancer completely in Turkey.
What is skin cancer?
The abnormal growth of skin cells with loss of control over the multiplication of these cells is known as melanoma.
Skin cancer often affects areas exposed to the sun more, such as the face, scalp, neck or ears, but cancer is not limited to those areas only, but can arise at the expense of areas that are not exposed to the sun, such as the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet.
There are many types of skin cancer, and the classification is based on the type of cells in which the cancer arose.
Skin cancer tends to be more common in white people, but skin cancer can affect people of all races.
according to A study Conducted by the American Society of Dermatology, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States of America, where one out of every five people will suffer from skin cancer at least once during his life.
What are the causes of skin cancer (risk factors)
The main cause of skin cancer is excessive exposure to sunlight. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight cause damage to the DNA of skin cells, which leads to the emergence of abnormal cancer cells.
People with fair skin and blue eyes are more likely to develop skin cancer, due to the lack of melanin pigment and the ease of frequent sunburn.
The presence of freckles or moles in abundance in a person also increases the risk of skin cancer, as the presence of more than 100 moles in adults is a risk factor for skin cancer.
One of the risk factors associated with the occurrence of skin cancer is the frequent contact with carcinogenic chemicals such as coal and tar, in addition to the fact that having a family history of skin cancer increases the individual's risk of developing skin cancer. Previous personal skin cancer also increases the risk of developing cancer again.
forms of skin cancer
Determining the type of skin cancer depends on the type of affected cells. Determining the type of cancer is useful by choosing the treatment method followed, in addition to determining the warning of infection. There are 3 main types of skin cancer:
Basal cell carcinoma
Cancer arises at the expense of basal cells in the skin. The function of basal cells is to give new cells and replace dead cells.
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the skin, often affecting areas exposed to the sun such as the face and neck.
Squamous cell carcinoma
This type arises at the expense of the squamous cells in the skin. The function of the squamous cells is to form a barrier that has a protective role in addition to facilitating the diffusion of gases and small particles through it.
It is the second most common skin cancer after basal cell carcinoma, and it is often seen in areas of the body exposed to the sun, and in some cases it is found in other areas not exposed to the sun, such as the genital area.
Melanoma
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer. It arises at the expense of melanin-producing cells. The main function of melanin is to determine the color of the skin and eyes.
Fortunately, melanoma is responsible for only 1% skin cancers, but although it is less common, it is still the number one cause of death from skin cancer.
Melanoma is one of the invasive cancers that spread rapidly in the body, so it is important to detect melanoma early and initiate treatment steps before it spreads to other parts of the body.
Melanoma may arise at the expense of any skin area of the human body and may also affect the eyes. Men are usually more likely to develop melanoma in the upper back, while women are more common in the legs.
Skin cancer symptoms
Recent skin changes are among the most important symptoms that indicate the possibility of a skin malignancy. Symptoms and signs of skin cancer vary according to the type of cells on which the cancer arose. The following are the most important symptoms of infection according to the type of cancer:
basal cell carcinoma
- A small pearly, smooth, or waxy bump is seen on the face or neck
- A flat lesion that is red, pink, or brown, often on the arms or legs
- Areas of newly emerging skin scars
- Low center scaly sores that may bleed
An image showing the shape of a basal cell carcinoma
squamous cell carcinoma
- a scaly bump that oozes
- Red or pink hard nodules
- A sore that does not heal or that recurs frequently
- Flat, scaly, red area of skin
squamous cell skin cancer
melanoma
- A change in the shape of a previous mole, whether it changed in size or color
- brown spot
- New skin change recently appeared
- Melanoma can appear anywhere in the body
Picture showing skin cancer (melanoma)
Skin cancer treatment methods in Turkey
The treatment plan for skin cancer depends on the type of cancer and its staging, and if it has spread to other areas of the body or not, the earlier treatment is started, the greater the chance of a full recovery and recovery from the cancer.
Turkey has been interested in the field of cancer treatment of all kinds, so it has worked to provide specialized centers equipped with the latest treatment methods and a specialized medical staff that accompanies the patient step by step in his cancer treatment journey.
For skin cancer treatment, a number of treatment methods are available, including:
Cryotherapy in Turkey
The freezing method is used to treat small precancerous lesions or precancerous conditions (such as actinic keratoses).
The lesion is coated with a nitrogen solution that freezes the lesion to fall off automatically, you can read more about cryotherapy.
Excisional surgery for skin cancer in Turkey
Surgery is performed to completely remove the cancerous lesion with safety edges of healthy tissue near the lesion. In some cases, a wide surgical excision is recommended if there is a lesion spread over a large area.
Chemo surgery (Mohs surgery)
This procedure is used in the management of large lesions that recur frequently, especially in places where we want to preserve the skin as much as possible, such as the nasal area. It is an effective management method in the treatment of melanoma of the basal cell type and squamous cell carcinoma.
This method is performed in several stages. The doctor gradually removes the layers of skin in the area of the tumor, and each excised layer is examined under a microscope until a negative result appears and to ensure that the removed skin layer is free of cancer, then the doctor stops removing the following layers of skin.
This procedure allows the tumor to be removed while minimizing damage to the healthy layers of skin.
electric scraping
After surgically removing most of the cancerous lesion, the doctor may resort to destroying the rest of the cancerous tissue using an electric needle-shaped machine that removes the rest of the cancerous cells.
This method is often used in the treatment of melanoma of the basal cell type or precancerous lesions.
Radiotherapy
High-energy rays are used to kill cancer cells in the area of injury for radiotherapy In the treatment of skin cancer when surgical treatment fails to completely eradicate the cancer.
Chemotherapy
It is a medicine that kills cancer cells Chemotherapy Topical ointments on the skin if the cancerous lesions are placed on the surface layer of the skin, but if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, skin cancer is treated by giving chemotherapy drugs intravenously.
Photodynamic therapy
One of the modern treatment methods used in the management of skin lesions. It is not only used to treat skin cancer, but it can also be used to treat non-cancerous lesions such as acne, psoriasis and other skin diseases. Read more about Photodynamic therapy.
Immunotherapy
The Immunotherapy By activating the body's immune system to overcome cancer cells and contribute to the treatment of skin cancer.
Skin cancer prevention
Avoiding constant exposure to the sun is the most important step in preventing skin cancer. It can be applied by applying a protective cream that contributes to reducing the incidence of sunstroke, or wearing clothing that protects from sun exposure (hats), in addition to the importance of periodic examination of the skin at home or at a dermatologist.
Why should I choose treatment in Turkey?
Recently, Turkey has become one of the leading countries in the field of medical tourism in the world.The reason for this is due to the presence of advanced medical centers that provide appropriate treatment by the most skilled doctors and the latest medical devices at a low cost.we in Bimaristan's Center will help you to choose the best treatment in Turkey.We facilitate the language of communication through specialized Arab doctors who help you communicate with your doctor.We help you provide high-end service and appropriate treatment in all hospitals in Turkey.You can contact us when you want.
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