What is Skin Cancer?

Skin cancer is a malignant tumor of the skin. It is named differently according to the source of the tumor cells, including epidermis, skin appendages, soft skin tissue, peripheral nerves, melanocytes, skin lymphoid reticulum, and hematopoietic tissue. Another part is metastatic tumors that have metastasized to the skin.

Basic Information

English name: skin cancer
Visiting department: Dermatology, Oncology

Common causes: Caused by ultraviolet radiation, chemical carcinogens, chronic inflammation, etc.
Common symptoms: Easy to bleed, ulcers, combined with pus, and foul pain
Contagious: no

Causes of skin cancer

The etiology of this disease is not clear, and its occurrence may be related to the following factors: daily exposure and ultraviolet radiation; long-term stimulation of chemical carcinogens such as asphalt, tar derivatives, benzopyrene; radiation, ionizing radiation; chronic stimulation And inflammation, such as chronic ulcers, enduring fistulas, discoid lupus erythematosus, radiation dermatitis, etc .; others: such as immunosuppressive stage, virus carcinogens, etc.

Skin cancer typing

Skin malignant tumors include squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, malignant melanoma, malignant lymphoma, idiopathic hemorrhagic sarcoma, sweat adenocarcinoma, cutaneous fibrosarcoma, and angiosarcoma. Skin cancers include primary cancers and secondary cancers that metastasize to the skin from other sites. Primary skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma in situ (Bowin's disease), squamous cell carcinoma, eczema-like cancer, and malignant melanoma.

Clinical manifestations of skin cancer

Skin malignancies are relatively easy to bleed, and common are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma

Can be transformed from keratosis, leukoplakia and other precancerous diseases. It grows quickly and ulcers form early. Some are nodular, milky, or cauliflower-shaped, with less invasion to the deep, and the base can be moved, and some are butterfly-shaped, with deeper infiltration into the deep, more destructive, and often involve bones. Squamous cell carcinoma is complicated by infection with sticky pus, with stench and pain. Squamous cell carcinoma has a higher degree of malignancy and is more prone to metastasis. Regional lymph node metastasis is more common.

Basal cell carcinoma

Onset is often asymptomatic. Most of the initial stages are plaque papular with harder basal plaques, some are wart-like bulges, and then the ulcers are changed to ulcers. Irregularities, bulges on the edges, uneven bottoms, slow growth, and more often occur individually. It occurs on the cheeks, the bridge of the nose, and on both sides of the nose. The tumor is often unconscious. Although basal cell carcinoma is malignant, there are very few metastases. The translucent nodules of the edge first appear superficially ulcerated, and then gradually expand and can invade. The surrounding tissues and organs become invasive ulcers. Based on their morphological and pathological changes, basal cell carcinoma can be classified into 4 types, namely nodular ulcer type, pigmented type, hard scar type or fibrotic type and superficial type.

3. Malignant melanoma

It is a highly malignant and rapidly metastatic skin cancer. Chinese people have more pigments in their skin and have better protection against ultraviolet rays. At the same time, pay more attention to sun protection, so malignant melanoma is relatively rare in China. Because melanoma is a black color, it is relatively easy to find. If you find black spots on nails, nail beds, feet, palms, or other parts of the body, they will expand significantly in the near future and easily rupture, or half of the nails become black. Hospital inspection.

4. Eczema-like cancer

It often occurs in women with unilateral breasts. Symptoms are similar to eczema, with red or dark red skin changes, and the surface is prone to exudation or bleeding. Most of them are in the unilateral areola at first onset, and then slowly develop, and some nipples may have fluid discharge. Easily misdiagnosed as eczema. Middle-aged women and long-lasting unilateral breast eczema should go to the hospital for examination in time.

Skin cancer test

Biopsy is extremely important for the classification and treatment of skin malignancies.

Skin cancer diagnosis

Diagnosis can be confirmed based on clinical features and pathological examination.
The therapeutic effect of skin malignancies is closely related to its early diagnosis. Attention should be paid to the highly suspicious signs of early malignant lesions: skin ulcers that are unhealed, sometimes made, or have a small amount of bleeding; bleeding and ulceration of solar keratosis Or symptoms of asymmetric nodular processes; skin or old sore scars that have been exposed to radiation in the past, ulcers or nodular processes in the sinus; red skin scars that have not faded for a long time, and they should be alert when they show mild erosion The possibility of carcinoma in situ.

Skin cancer differential diagnosis

It should be distinguished from chronic granulomas, specific and non-specific ulcers, and photokeratosis.

Skin cancer treatment

The skin malignant tumor is superficial and has many treatment methods, such as surgical resection, radiation therapy, cryotherapy, laser therapy, local drug physical corrosion therapy, and chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a combination of adjuvant therapy and advanced palliative therapy suitable for use in conjunction with other treatments. The application can be selected according to the location, size of the tumor, the general condition of the patient, and the degree of the cancer. The principle of treatment is to remove tumors, maximize function retention, and reduce appearance damage.

Surgical treatment

Applicable to all stages of skin cancer, surgery can be used to remove all tumors.

2. Lymph node dissection

Selective regional lymph node dissection after surgical resection of squamous cell carcinoma is difficult to decide. Preventive dissection is not the most necessary choice, but the best decision should be made based on the age of the patient, the location of the cancer, the degree of invasion, and the degree of cancer cell differentiation.

3. Radiation therapy

Skin malignancies, especially basal cell carcinoma, are very sensitive to radiation and moderately sensitive to squamous cell carcinoma. This method is also applicable to sites that have or may have lymphatic metastasis as an adjuvant treatment before and after surgery.

4. Chemotherapy

It is a systemic adjuvant therapy for the treatment of skin malignancies. When surgery or radiotherapy is contraindicated or not available, 5-fluorouracil, imiquimod, etc. can be used for low-risk, superficial basal cell carcinoma and low-risk orthotopic squamous cell carcinoma ).

5. Physical therapy

It is the application of electrocoagulation, electrocautery, freezing, photodynamic therapy, or laser to burn cancerous tumors to make them necrotic and fall off or gasify.

6. Corrosion therapy

Use highly concentrated and corrosive chemicals for local burning or smearing.

Skin cancer prognosis

Skin malignancies are found and treated earlier and are more appropriate. Generally speaking, the efficacy and prognosis are good, but those with regional lymph node metastasis have a poorer prognosis.