Skin_Cancer

Throughout the years, skin cancer cases have risen from 1 out of 5000 Americans in 1930, to 1 out of 65 Americans in 2004. Americans are just now realizing that overexposure to the sun’s ultraviolet lights can cause severe damage to the DNA in the skin. Because of that exposure, skin cancer has become the most common form of cancer in the United States. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma (most common), squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma (least common). Every hour, a United States citizen dies from melanoma. There are 59,000 new cases reported each year due to this disease. Melanoma is the main cause of skin cancer-related deaths. Studies have recently indicated that melanoma could be inherited by genetics; caused by the mutation of gene p16. Around 10-15% of people diagnosed with melanoma have a p16 gene mutation. With this new information, a person’s family history could be very beneficial to determine the main targets for diagnosing and preventing this disease from reoccurring. Melanoma starts off with cells called melanocytes inside the epidermis, which generates skin pigmentation known as melanin. Melanin is accountable for skin and hair color. Depending on how early the cancer is detected, and with legitimate treatment, melanoma is highly curable, with a rate of about 95%. However, it is known as, “the most lethal form of skin cancer” due to its rapid spread into the internal organs and lymph system. "What is Skin Cancer' The main symptom of and type of skin cancer is normally a mole, lump, or a sore on the skin. Any detection of change in the mole, lump or sore over time is a warning sign. The “ABCD system” is useful, beneficial reminder to know the characteristics that might be symptoms of melanoma: Asymmetry, borders, color, and diameter. Asymmetry, one side of the mole is abnormally different from the other side. Borders check to see if the mole or jump has irregular edges. Color, skin pigmentation varies from one area to another, with shades of brown, tan, black, and sometimes even white, red or blue. A combination of these colors may appear within one mole. Diameter, about the size of a pencil erase (bigger than 6mm) is an indication of a trouble spot. With so many cases of this particular cancer rising, many scientists researched thoroughly to further find an explanation of this disease. A recent article from, Journal of Investigative Dermatology, wrote about 2 new studies of skin cancer inheritable. The first one had Dr. Shehnaz K. Hussain of the University of California Los Angeles and his classmates to estimate the risk of various types of skin cancers within children and siblings of carriers with these diseases by interpreting the Swedish Family-Center database. They discovered that people who have a sibling and/or parent diagnosed with a certain type of skin cancer had a higher chance of developing skin cancer of any type, not only the same type of skin cancer their sibling and/or parent had. However the areas of the body where the tumors were located had a higher risk of being in the same area. The researchers they concluded that a person’s family history is useful to interpret their own cancer risk. In the second study, Dr. Sri N. Shekar from the University of Queensland in Brisbane studied several different set of twins, where one of the two siblings had been diagnosed with melanoma. Shekar referenced thousands of melanoma cases reported in New South Wales and Queensland. They found a total of 125 cases. 3 out of 98 fraternal twins were both carriers, but 4 out of 27 identical twins both had melanoma. With these numbers, the identical twin with melanoma had enhanced the chance of a person’s own risk of the deadly disease, almost 10-fold. But, it was barely doubled with fraternal twins. The data showed that there is a higher risk of getting melanoma by attributing through genes. With two copes of about 30,000 different genes, one copy of each gene from our mother and the other from our father, a mutation in a specific gene from whichever parent is slim to none. Someone with gene mutations has a higher risk of developing cancer that could possibly be passed on to his or her children. Leading to the most factual evidence of inherited skin cancer, the mutation of a specific gene called p16. The p16 functions to protect against unconstrained cell growth. However, a damaged p16 can cause cells to grow in an unregulated way and cause cancer. Any alterations in this gene considerably increase the risk of melanoma and pancreatic cancer. Most treatments for skin cancer are usually surgically removed. Surgical lymph mode biopsy is a procedure used to check if cancer has spread near lymph nodes. If so, the lymph nodes have to be removed. If the skin cancer spreads deeper than 4mm, or the lymph nodes are affected, there is a high chance of the disease spreading into other tissues and organs. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, is very useful in addition to surgery for smaller, shallow melanomas. Most patients with this disease already spread into the lymph nodes and other tissues, are usually not curable. The only other method is to shrink the tumor and attend in clinical trails. These clinical trails have researchers studying the patients for new medical treatments for melanoma. Overall, dermatologists recommend everyone to learn how to recognize the signs of skin cancer, to have annual check-up with a dermatologist for examination, and most importantly; wear sun-screen for protection no matter the season or weather. It is very important to check your family’s medical history for skin cancer, because it is linked that most patients have a 2 to 3 times higher chance of getting skin cancer themselves if a relative was a carrier of skin cancer. The key to treating melanoma is detecting the symptoms early. Skin cancer is always preventable if treated at the right time. Works Cited American Academy of Dermatology. "What is Skin Cancer'" Skin Cancer Net. 2009. 29 Dec. 2009 . Journal of Investigative Dermatology. "Skin cancer can be inherited, two new studies say." Chbcnews.com. Sept. 2009. CHBC News. 6 Dec. 2009 . Kantor, MD, Jonathan, and David Zieve, MD, MHA. "Melanoma: Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia." Medline Plus. 2009. A.D.A.M. 2 Jan. 2010 . "Learn About Inherited Melanoma-a Type of Skin Cancer." Myriad. 17 Dec. 2009 . "Skin cancer risks and causes: Cancer Research UK: CancerHelp UK." Cancer Research UK. Nov. 2009. The Information Standard. 29 Dec. 2009 .