Skin Cancer Causes, Treatments and Effects

Skin Cancer is one of the most common types of cancer with about one in five Americans being affected each year. The incidence of the cancer of the skin has been recorded to have risen over the years with the increase in the level of risk factor and carcinogens in the environment.

Though there are three common form of skin cancer; the Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma and Melanoma, the first two are not very serious and can be treated and cured easily. The third type, Melanoma, the cancer of the melanocyte is the most severe of the lot and causes the most number of skin cancer associated death around the world.

What are the main causes of Skin Cancer?

.Exposure to sun

The number one cause of skin cancer is the over exposure to the Ultra Violet rays of the sun or any other sources. The time of exposure, the intensity of the UV rays and whether or not the skin was protected (with clothes or anti sun creams) all decides the chance of getting skin cancer in the long run.

.White skin

White skinned people are more prone to cancer of the skin than the darker skinned ones, and the difference comes due to the level of naturally occurring sun protecting pigment in the skin; melanin. Melanin pigment which is high in dark skin protects it from the harmful rays of the sun thus saving it from cancer. But dark skinned men too, do have a chance of the disease though comparatively less.

.Exposure to carcinogen

Certain chemicals like arsenic, tar, nicotine and oil are found to elevate the change of getting skin cancer. Though these come under skin carcinogen, only long term exposure is found to trigger the disease in many cases.

.Family history'

The genetic makeup and the family history can also contribute to the occurrence of skin cancer. Having someone in the family affected with skin cancer increases the chance of getting the disease.

Besides all these risk factors, there are still many factors that might cause skin cancer or elevate the chance of it.

How can skin cancer be treated?

There are a number of approaches to treat skin cancer depending on the severity of the disease and where it has affected. Early and proper diagnosis of the disease helps to treat it better and more effectively. The different approach towards effective treatment includes

.Surgery

Non melanomas cancer or tumour can be completely removed by different surgical approaches being followed today. Cryosurgery, simple excision, dermabrasion, laser surgery are among the surgical techniques that effectively removes the cancerous skin tissue.

.Chemotherapy

Inter venal or oral chemotherapeutic treatment targeted specifically on the cancerous cells can treat the cancer by either killing the cells or arresting their cell division capability. Cancer of the skin is also sometimes treated by applying the chemotherapeutic medicine on the affected skin in the form or creams or ointments.

.Radiation Therapy

The two forms, external or the internal radiation therapy may be used for the treatment depending on the type of cancer. Depending on the type of skin cancer and how much it had advanced, either form of the therapy is chosen.

.Photodynamic therapy

This is a more novel method to treat cancer and has little effect on the normal healthy tissue. Here photoactive drugs are given to the patient and these drugs specifically bind to the skin cells which are cancerous. When laser light is shone on the patients affected areas, the drug becomes active and kills off the diseased cells leaving of the normal cells.

What are the effects of Skin cancer treatment?

Different approaches towards the treatment of skin cancer have proven to be very effective in removing the tumour and controlling the cancerous growth. But as in every other cancer treatment, these treatment too comes with a few side effects.

Surgical removal of the cancerous tissue in the skin can result in a lifelong scar on the body. and sometimes even an expert surgeon cannot assure a cent percent zero scar removal of the cancer.

Chemotherapeutic treatment using creams and ointments can cause inflammation in the area of application. The inflammations caused in some people are so severe that they might have to discontinue the medication and switch to other treatment scheme. Chemotherapy can also cause nausea, vomiting and hair loss in the patients undergoing the treatment.

But after all the patent will be in gain undergoing the right cancer treatment on time, coz it will get rid of the most serious problem of all 'Cancer', set aside the smaller side effects coming with it.

Original article

Natural Treatments to Cancer Eliminating the Major Cause of Cancer in Patients

Various types of treatments to cancer exist in this world today. Medication, surgery and alternative healing therapies are some of these treatments. While all these treatments have been applied to treat cancer patients, some are more effective than the others. Cancer is caused primarily due to oxygen deficiency in the cells and tissues of our bodies. Hence, the natural or alternative treatments and various types of medicines work on the principal of increasing the blood and oxygen supply inside the body. However, the treatment of cancer generally depends on the part of body that is affected by the disease.

Opting for surgery could be expensive, harmful and not all types of cancer are curable by this method. Taking medicines can cure you but there is always a risk of side effects. By far the natural or alternative treatments to cancer have been proved to be without any side effects and very effective in various stages of the disease.

Nature abounds in various types of vegetables, herbs and fruits which can provide cancer cure. Poke root, garlic, red clover, Echinacea and chaparral are some of the herbs which have been known to possess cancer treating quality. Garlic is the commonest and one of the most effective ingredients in treating cancer. It is capable of killing bacteria, fungus, virus as well as parasites. 3 to 4 cloves of raw garlic each day can cure you from cancer.

Red clover is another powerful cancer healing herb. It is basically a form of weed and can be found in any part of the world. You can use it poultice form, in tea or as tincture. If you can use the blossoms which are purple in color, it is more effective. Chaparral is quite a powerful and oldest known herb to man which has been used to fight cancer since ages. It is a shrub which can be found in Mojave Desert region. It is a powerful liver stimulant which helps in flushing out all the toxins from the body and helps restore the health. Echinacea is another herb that strengthens the immune system of the body to fight against cancer. However, it is difficult to find the real one which induces a numbing effect. Poke root is a highly effective anti-tumor and anti-cancer herb. It flushes out toxins and effectively cures tumors which are seen in patients suffering from breast cancer.

Among all the other natural treatments to cancer, the One Minute Cancer Cure has gained much popularity. This treatment works on making the body powerful to fight against the disease. It works towards restoring good health. Normally our bodies suffer from deficiency of oxygen. This is the chief cause of cancer. This therapy works on flooding the body with oxygen so that we gain back our normal health. This has been advised by doctors throughout the world to cancer patients. This is also known as Bio-Oxidative Therapy and works without side effects. It has produced miraculous results for cancer patients world wide.

I like to help people utilize protective and natural measures against various illnesses and diseases. I recommend to learn more about natural cure to cancer. Get to know about the best natural cures for cancer to cure cancer naturally. Choose natural cures to fight your disease successfully.

Original article

Finding Treatments for Melanoma

It can be very scary receiving a cancer diagnosis from the doctor. To many, cancer is considered to be a death sentence; however, this doesn't have to be the case. Many aren't familiar with Melanoma, so a diagnosis of this form of cancer is even scarier. Knowledge is power, so if you've been diagnosed with Melanoma, learn everything you can about it.
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer. If it is caught early enough and is still in Stage 1, it can almost always be cured with a simple surgical procedure that will remove the melanoma from your skin.
However, if the melanoma is not caught early, your doctor may choose to remove the melanoma surgically, often including a wide area excision. Your doctor will also recommend treatment. The treatment could be local, but more often will be a whole-body treatment, such as chemotherapy, immunotherapy, vaccines, and more.
The good news is that there are several standard treatments for melanoma, and hundreds of new and experimental treatments being tested throughout the United States and around the world. The bad news, however, is that for serious cases of melanoma (Stage 3 and Stage 4) there have not been any significant discoveries of treatments that have high cure rates. Some people respond better to one treatment, while others respond better to another.
Because of the varying success rates of treatments, choosing a treatment protocol for fighting serious cases of melanoma can be challenging. The best way to find the best treatment for you is to explore multiple treatment options. Since different doctors are experimenting with different treatments, it is often best to consult with multiple melanoma doctors before deciding with whom you will work.
In addition to the medical treatment your doctor will prescribe, an "integrative" approach to treating melanoma is likely to be more effective than simply relying on the medical treatment alone. An integrative treatment plan is one that includes diet, herbs, vitamins, supplements, mind-body exercises like visualization, acupuncture, and much more.
The good news is that many of these integrative treatments have shown, either in studies or in clinical practice, to have a positive effect on fighting melanoma. Do research to discover alternative treatment options such as herbal supplements, vitamins, or even non-traditional forms of medicine.
Most importantly of all however, do not believe any bad statistics that anyone tells you about your chances of beating melanoma. Melanoma is a serious challenge, but if you fight hard and believe in yourself, you can beat it! Keep an open mind, and don't be afraid to try new things.

At Found Health, you will find a number of treatments for many illnesses, including Melanoma. Visit our Melanoma home to learn about treatments, diagnosis and more. Ask questions or answer questions, or just read what others are experiencing with different treatment options.

Original article

New Treatments for Advanced and Metastatic Melanoma

Melanoma, the deadly skin cancer, is on the rise. In the United States in 2010, there were estimated 68,130 new cases of invasive cancer and 46,770 of in situ melanoma. In the same year, 8,700 people were predicted to die from this malignancy. Melanoma is curable if it is detected early and can be surgically removed. When melanoma has spread to lymph node(s) or when it is more than 4 mm thick, there is a chance of metastasis (spread to distant organs). Melanoma could spread to the following organs: lung, liver, brain, bone, intestine, pancreas, adrenal, kidney, spleen, heart, and thyroid. Imaging tests such as Pet CT and brain MRI may be done to look for metastasis. Most patients with metastatic melanoma die within one year. The 2-year survival rate is only 10-20%. Current treatments include chemotherapy, of which dacarbazine is the most commonly used. Over the past decades, many drugs and vaccines have been tested, with no success. The last drug approved was interleukin-2 in 1998, but it is so toxic that physicians rarely use it nowadays. Neither it nor the other approved drug, dacarbazine, has clearly demonstrated improved survival. This year, two new drugs are being introduced. The first drug is Yervoy (ipilimumab), which was approved by the FDA in March 2011. The second agent is vemurafenib; it has finished its clinical trial and awaits approval.

Yervoy is an antibody that blocks T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4 (CTLA-4). This blockage increases T-cell proliferation, which results in a more active immune system to attack the melanoma cells. A recent clinical trial enrolled 502 patients with previously untreated metastatic melanoma. The patients were randomly assigned to either dacarbazine chemotherapy plus Yervoy, or chemotherapy alone. Overall survival was significantly longer in the group receiving Yervoy plus dacarbazine than in the group receiving dacarbazine (11.2 months versus 9.1 months). At one year, 47% of the Yervoy patients are alive, in comparison with 36% in the chemotherapy only group. At two years, 29% of the Yervoy patients are alive, in comparison with 18% in the chemotherapy only group. At three years, 21% of the Yervoy patients are alive, in comparison with 12% in the chemotherapy only group. Yervoy can result in severe immune-mediated adverse reactions due to T-cell activation and proliferation. These immune-mediated side effects may involve any organ system. The most common severe adverse reactions are enterocolitis, hepatitis, dermatitis (including toxic epidermal necrolysis), neuropathy, and endocrinopathy. Yervoy costs $120,000 for a complete course of treatment, which consists of four infusions given over a three-month period.

The second promising new drug, vemurafenib, targets a mutation in the gene BRAF (Serine/threonine-protein kinase B-Raf). About 50% of melanoma cases have this mutation. The clinical trial enrolled 675 patients with previously untreated, metastatic melanoma with the BRAF mutation. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either vemurafenib or dacarbazine. At six months, overall survival was 84% in the vemurafenib group and 64% in the chemotherapy group. Common adverse events associated with vemurafenib were joint pain, rash, fatigue, hair loss, squamous-cell carcinoma, photosensitivity, nausea, and diarrhea. In the study, 38% of patients required dose modification because of toxic effects. This drug is being considered for future potential approval by the FDA in melanoma patients. The price tag is unknown at this point.

Dr. Mai Brooks is a surgical oncologist/general surgeon, with expertise in early detection and prevention of cancer. More at http://www.drbrooksmd.com/, http://thecancerexperience.wordpress.com/

Original article