Skin Cancer (Melanoma)

Lowell Cancer Awareness (LCA)

Questions for the kahoot (melanoma)

Jeffrey: What does the ABCDE for melanoma stand for? A: Asymmetry, border, color, diameter, evolving

Which two types of UV light can harm the skin? A: UVA and UVB

Emily: What is the most common treatment for both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer? A:surgery

What is lymph node dissection? A: the removal of cancerous lymph nodes

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Questions for kahoot non-melanoma

Jeffrey: what are the 2 most common types of nonmelanoma skin cancer? A: Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

What are ways to prevent yourself from getting skin cancer? A: Wear sunscreen, wear protective clothing, Avoid tanning lamps/beds

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Melanoma Overview

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer

• Has the ability to spread to other organs rapidly
• Very treatable if found early

Melanoma is when cancer cells start growing in melanocytes

• Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin
• Can also develop in the eyes and inside your body such as the nose and throat

Melanoma can occur anywhere on the skin

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Skin Anatomy

Main types of cells in the epidermis

• Melanocytes
• Squamous cells
• Basal Cells

The epidermis is separated from deeper layers of the skin

• Cancer grows into these deeper areas as it becomes more advanced

Melanoma Overview

Melanoma may appear as a new spot on the skin or changes in an existing mole (color, size, shape)

• The ABCDE’s and the ugly duckling sign can help spot melanoma

Melanoma will likely start on the trunk (chest and back) in men and the legs in women

Exposure to UV radiation from the sun or tanning lamps may increase your chances of getting melanoma

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Causes

• Being Light skinned
• Light skinned people have less melanin, making them more susceptible to UV Light Radiation
• Sunburns/Excessive Exposure to UV Light
• Radiation knocks off electrons from water>water takes electrons from DNA>DNA is damaged
• Living Closer to Equator/High Elevation
• Having Many Moles on your Body
• 50 or more is considered high risk, so is Dysplastic Nevus
• Family History
• Weakened Immune System
• Taking Immunosuppressant Drugs, or having immunosuppressive diseases, like AIDS

Dysplastic Nevus (Atypical Moles)

• Unusual looking mole that has features similar to melanoma
• Studies show people with 10+ Dysplastic Nevi are 12x more likely to develop melanoma

vs

Dysplastic Nevus and mole

Melanoma

Prevention

• Avoid the sun during its prime
• Wear Sunscreen! As much as you like!
• Wear Protective Clothing
• Wear clothes that can cover most of your body.
• A broad-brimmed hat is also a great choice
• Avoid tanning lamps that emit UV rays
• Frequently check your skin for anything off

Good

No Good

How to Diagnose w/o any tools

The ABCDE Warning Signs:

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Symptoms

• Sore which doesn’t heal or recurs
• Redness/Swelling around mole
• Itchiness/Tenderness/Pain
• Scaliness, Oozing, Bleeding
• Appearance of lump

Treatment

Stage 1 & 2

• Surgery- main treatment, can cure early stage melanomas
• Wide excision- site of the tumor is cut out, along with a small amount of the skin around it
• Mohs Surgery- skin is removed in thin layers. Each layer is examined for cancer cells. Layers are continually removed until there are no more cancer cells spotted.
• Lymph Node Dissection- removes cancerous lymph nodes

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Immunotherapy- boosts immune response against cancerous cells

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Stage 3 Stage 4

• Metastases in organs are sometimes removed to improve quality of life
• Usually treated with radiation, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, or chemotherapy to try and control the cancer instead of trying to cure it.
• 5 year survival rate is about 22%.

• Wide Excision

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• Lymph Node Dissection

After surgery, adjuvant treatment with targeted therapy or radiation therapy

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• Targeted therapy, immunotherapy, chemotherapy

Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma)

Lowell Cancer Awareness (LCA)

Non-Melanoma Overview

Non-Melanoma skin cancers refer cancers that develop in the upper layers of the skin

Many skin cancers fall into the broad category of non melanoma including:

• Basal cell carcinoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma

Often forms on skin that has had lots of exposure to sun/UV radiation

Non-melanoma skin cancers don’t spread to the rest of the body as rapidly as melanoma

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Main Types of Non-Melanoma

Basal Cell Carcinoma

• Most common type of skin cancer
• Starts in basal cells (lowest part of the epidermis)
• Can look like open sores, red patches, elevated growths, etc
• Tends to grow very slowly, rarely spreads to other parts of the body
• Occurs on areas that have been exposed to sun
• Can come back if not removed completely

Main Types of Non-Melanoma

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

• Second most common type of cancer
• Starts in flat squamous cells (upper part of the epidermis)
• Can look like a red/scaly/rough patch on the skin or firm pink lump with rough/crusty surface
• More likely to spread to other organs and lymph nodes than basal cell carcinoma
• Usually not life threatening, but SCC can still be very aggressive

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Melanoma vs SCC and BCC

Causes

• Being Light skinned/Does not tan easily
• Large number of moles/freckles
• Sunburns/Excessive Exposure to UV Light
• Radiation knocks off electrons from water>water takes electrons from DNA>DNA is damaged
• Living Closer to Equator/High Elevation
• Having blue eyes/red or blonde hair
• Having Many Moles on your Body
• 50 or more is considered high risk, so is Dysplastic Nevus
• Family History
• Weakened Immune System
• Taking Immunosuppressant Drugs, or having immunosuppressive diseases, like AIDS

Symptoms - Basal Cell

• Open sore bleeding/oozing
• Remains open and crusts
• Red patch with Irritation, Itchiness, or crusting
• Shiny red/pink/white bump
• White/yellow scar-like lesion
• Pink bump with central indents

Symptoms - Squamous Cell

• Wart-like growth
• Persistent, irregular, scaly red patch
• Continuous open sore
• Crusty and bleeds easily
• Bump with central “crater”
• Firm and shiny

Treatment

Much lower risk of spreading to different parts of the body

Most Effective Treatment- Surgery

Surgical excision

• cut out the cancer with along with healthy tissues surrounding it
• can be done along with a skin graft

Curettage and Electrodesiccation

• if the cancer is small enough, the surgeon can use a blade to remove the cancer, then an electrical needle to burn the skin surrounding the wound

Cyrotherapy- cold treatment to destroy cancer in early stages.

• Liquid Nitrogen freezes the cancer and causes it to scab over. The scab containing the cancer will fall off after about a month.

Photodynamic Therapy- treats basal cell carcinoma

• Special drugs are activated by certain kinds of light to kill cancer cells. Drugs are either injected into a vein or put on the skin.

Imiquimod Cream- treats basal cell carcinomas less than 2 cm

• Imiquimod encourages immune system to attack the cancer

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Less Aggressive Options

Other Options

• Only used if surgery is unsuitable or the cancer is widespread
• Systemic Chemotherapy or Targeted Therapy
• Immunotherapy
• Lymph Node Dissection

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Statistics

• Skin cancer is the most common cancer worldwide
• 1 in 5 americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70
• More people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the US than every other cancer combined
• The annual cost of treating skin cancers in the U.S. is estimated at $8.1 billion
• On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they have had more than five sunburns, but just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life

Causes

• Ultraviolet Radiation has been proven to be a carcinogen
• UV Radiation causes most skin cancers
• Research indicates that UV light from the sun and tanning beds can both cause melanoma and increase the risk of a benign mole progressing to melanoma
• Using indoor tanning beds before age 35 can increase your risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 59 percent; the risk increases with each use

Prevention

• Avoid the sun during its prime
• Wear Sunscreen! As much as you like!
• Broad-Spectrum SPF 30 or more
• Wear Protective Clothing
• Wear clothes that can cover most of your body.
• A broad-brimmed hat is also a great choice
• Avoid tanning lamps, sunbathing, and tanning salons
• Frequently check your skin for anything off
• Taking Vitamin B3 pills (niacin)2x/day may reduce risks

Jeff sources

https://www.news-medical.net/health/What-is-Melanin.aspx

https://www.skincancer.org/risk-factors/atypical-moles/

https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma/

https://www.cancer.net/cancer-types/skin-cancer-non-melanoma/risk-factors-and-prevention

www.nhs.uk

Nonmelanoma skin cancer - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

www.mayoclinic.org

Skin cancer (non-melanoma) - Diagnosis - NHS

www.nhs.uk

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Also pics

Lauren’s Sources

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/about/what-is-melanoma.html

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/melanoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20374884 (image/info)

https://www.webmd.com/melanoma-skin-cancer/understanding-skin-cancer-basics#1

https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma/

https://www.theeyeassociates.com/melanoma-mole-gone-bad/ (image)

https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-melanoma-514215 (image/info)

https://www.cancer.gov/types/skin/patient/melanoma-treatment-pdq

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/nonmelanoma-skin-cancer-introduction

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nonmelanoma-skin-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20355397

https://marylandoncology.com/disease-drug-info/types-of-cancer/skin-cancer/

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/basal-and-squamous-cell-skin-cancer/about/what-is-basal-and-squamous-cell.html

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Kyle’s Sources

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/detection-diagnosis-staging/signs-and-symptoms.html#:~:text=Spread%20of%20pigment%20from%20the,of%20a%20lump%20or%20bump

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/melanoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20374884

https://www.cancercenter.com/cancer-types/melanoma/symptoms

https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/types/common/melanoma/symptoms

https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/melanoma/melanoma-warning-signs-and-images/

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https://www.cancer.ca/en/cancer-information/cancer-type/skin-non-melanoma/signs-and-symptoms/?region=on

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/non-melanoma-skin-cancer/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/basal-cell-carcinoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20354187

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/squamous-cell-carcinoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20352480

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https://www.health.harvard.edu/cancer/melanoma-overview (Image)

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https://thingshealth.com/warning-signs-and-symptoms-of-non-melanoma-skin-cancer/6/ (Image)

Emily source

https://www.sitcancer.org/clinician/resources/melanoma/treatment-options

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/treating/immunotherapy.html

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/treating/by-stage.html

https://www.curemelanoma.org/about-melanoma/melanoma-staging/stage-4-melanoma/#:~:text=The%205%2Dyear%20survival%20rate,more%20about%20melanoma%20survival%20rates.

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/treating/chemotherapy.html

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/treating.html

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/melanoma-skin-cancer/treating/surgery.html

Jonathan’s Sources

https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/#:~:text=Pediatrics-,General%20facts,of%20the%20disease%20every%20hour.&text=More%20than%205.4%20million%20cases,year%20new%20statistics%20were%20available.

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/basal-and-squamous-cell-skin-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/what-causes.html#:~:text=Most%20basal%20cell%20and%20squamous,the%20DNA%20inside%20skin%20cells.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4581089/

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