Enemy To The Skin: CANCER

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer occurs when skin cells start growing abnormally, causing cancerous growths.
Most skin cancers develop on the visible outer layer of the skin (the epidermis), particularly in sun-exposed areas (face, head, hands, arms, and legs).

They are usually easy to detect by examining the skin, which increases the chances of early treatment and survival.

What are the different types of skin cancer?

There are different types of skin cancer, each named for the type of skin cell from which they originate. The majority of skin cancers fall into one of the following categories:

• Basal cell carcinoma (also called BCC) comes from the basal cells in lowest part of the epidermis. 80-85% of skin cancers are basal cell carcinomas.
• Squamous cell carcinoma (also called SCC) comes from the skin cells (keratinocytes) that make up the top layers of the skin. About 10% of skin cancers are SCC.
• Melanoma comes from skin cells called melanocytes, which create pigment called melanin that gives skin its color. 5% of all skin cancers are melanoma. Although less common, melanomas are a very dangerous type of skin cancer and are the leading cause of death from skin disease.

Basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma are sometimes referred to as “non-melanoma skin cancer” to distinguish them from melanoma.
There are a variety of less common types of skin cancers, including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) and Merkel cell carcinoma.
Skin cancer is considered low risk when the affected cells remain clustered in a single group. It is considered high risk when the cells have invaded surrounding tissues. High risk forms of cancer require more aggressive treatments.
Almost all skin cancers start as a small, low-risk lesions, but can grow and become high-risk lesions if left untreated. Melanoma is the most alarming type because it has a higher risk of invading surrounding tissues or spreading to other parts of the body (metastasis) before being detected. Squamous cell and basal cell skin cancer are more likely to be detected and treated effectively before they become malignant.
If skin cancer is detected before it has spread to surrounding tissues, chances of a complete cure are excellent.

Precancerous skin lesions (precancers)

Skin cancer may often be preceded by lesions called pre-cancers. The most well-known of these lesions is called actinic keratosis (AKs).
An actinic keratosis is considered an early form of squamous cell carcinoma. An actinic keratosis, a new or changing mole (nevi), and other unusual lesions on your skin should be carefully monitored and brought to the attention of your doctor.

Posted on October 15th, 2010 by Nate  |  No Comments »

Before You Purchase Accutane

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Isotretinoin (commonly known as Accutane) is a potentially dangerous prescription medicine that should only be taken under the close supervision of your healthcare professional and pharmacist. If you are pregnant or may get pregnant, isotretinoin (Accutane) can cause birth defects, miscarriage, premature births, and death in babies. (Isotretinoin is sold under the brand name of Accutane and in generic versions called Amnesteem, Claravis, and Sotret.)
Buying this product over the Internet bypasses important procedures to ensure that patients can take this drug safely. When these procedures are ignored, isotretinoin can cause serious and harmful side effects. Patients taking isotretinoin may experience side effects including bad headaches, blurred vision, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, seizures, stroke, diarrhea, and muscle weakness. Additionally, serious mental health problems, such as depression and suicide, have been reported with isotretinoin use.

• You should NEVER buy Accutane (isotretinoin) or any of the generic versions of Accutane without first seeing your healthcare professional.
• You should NEVER take Accutane (isotretinoin) or any of the generic versions of Accutane if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant or could accidentally become pregnant.
• Some websites sell prescription drugs without a prescription. This is illegal and DANGEROUS.

When you buy drugs over the Internet, especially from sites that don’t require a prescription, you may get counterfeit products, products with dangerous ingredients, products that don’t work, and products that were not labeled or shipped correctly.