How Skin Cancer Affects You

Major Review- By Michelle FINAL DRAFT

2005-04-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Major review of the website www.intellihealth.com

Aetna is a health insurance company that placed this website with the intention to provide information for your general knowledge about diseases and treatment for specific medical conditions. It provides a wide variety of information on skin cancer and as well as other medical conditions. It also lists the different kinds of skin cancer, treatment, and ways to prevent it. Aetna does not substitute their information on treatment as medical advice but just as an overview of what ways to go about treating the disease.

Skin Cancer Overview

This sub-page is basically a brief introduction of skin cancer. It briefly describes what skin cancer is how it falls into two main types: non-melanoma (basal cee carcinoma) and melanoma. Non-melanoma, which is the most commom can easily be treated and rarely causes death, while malignant melanoma, which is less common is the most dangerous skin cancer. It also discusses when risk increases and what type of people are more succeptible to melanoma.

Basal Cell Carcinoma and Melanoma

Both these sub-pages have an in depth description of the two main types of skin cancer. Each provide information such as the components of these abnormal cells, where they tend to develop in the body, and how it can affect our body if these cells metastasize (spread). These pages also allow us to differentiate between the two types.Both these sub-pages have an in depth description of the two main types of skin cancer. Each provide information such as the components of these abnormal cells, where they tend to develop in the body, and how it can affect our body if these cells metastasize (spread). These pages also allow us to differentiate between the two types.

Differences such as the growth rate (basal cell carcinoma has a slow growing rate, but has the capability to metastasize if left untreated. Melanoma on the other hand has a fast growing rate which metastasizes rapidly.) Besides its growth rate, it also differs in where they develop. Basal cell carcinoma develops in the epidermis and melanoma develops in the cells that contain pigment (melanin).

Symptoms of each type are described as well. It informs us of signs that we should look out for to determine if what we see is a form of cancer. It describes in detail what specific type might look like, if it grows or where it can be found on the body to allow us to determine what it might possibly be.

Despite providing a variety of information, these sub-pages also give you several treatments that can possibly treat basal cell carcinoma or melanoma along with other links that can provide more information on skin cancer.

Prevent Yourself from Environmental Risk

Most people generally know that skin cancer is caused by overexposure of the sun. This sub-page goes into how to protect ourselves from skin cancer. It's as simple as applying sunblock with a SPF 15 or more, wearing a long sleeve shirt to decrease sun exposure, or maybe just watching out for the UV index on the weather channel. It also describes what other environmental factors that can lead to different kinds of cancer such as: cigarrette smoking, outside radiation, manufacturer chemicals in the air, etc.

Overall, this website is a great resource for getting information on skin cancer. Not only does it provide ample information it also provides links to other websites that can enable you to do more in depth research without having to search for it. The information provided in this website is informative and easy to understand which makes it a great guide for skin cancer research. Despite skin cancer, it also has other diseases and medical conditions listed on the website that you gather information on. Looking at this website allowed me to have more of an understanding of skin cancer.

Minor Review- -by Meghan FINAL DRAFT

2005-04-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

This webpage which focuses on treatment of skin cancer is part of the larger website www.cancercenter.com
On this particular page there are links to the conventional treatments of skin cancer. These include: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, local hypothermia, and photodynamic therapy. Also included as links on this page are alternative treatments and complementary therapy that patients may choose. Some examples of the supplemental treatments include physical and nutritional therapy, and pain management.
Of note, detection tools is an interesting link where a description of the three most common medicinal techniques are used to detect skin cancer. Whats is used depends on the type, and location as well as other factors.
Specific links under the topics lead to websites of centers across America that offer the particular treatments.

4/27/05 MLO

Minor Review- By Michelle FINAL DRAFT

2005-04-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

Minor review on www.cedars-sinai.edu

This website is a good research website that provides you with information on skin cancer. The website itself gives you brief summaries of what skin cancer is, types of skin cancer, and ways to prevent it. It also list certain causes and risk factors as well as the diagnosis and treatment. It gives you a description on what a doctoe might do in order to diagnose skin cancer. It also give you a list of things to do in order to protect ourselves for the sun and help prevent skin cancer. It also provides you with two other links that can give us information on skin cancer. This is a good website to look at if you want to have a general idea of what skin cancer is.

Major review - By Meghan- FINAL DRAFT

2005-04-21T11:05:00.000-07:00

Review of http://www.skincancer.org/– The Skin Cancer Foundation

The Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF) is an international organization concerned with informing the world of the dangers of skin cancers. Founded by medical doctors of dermatology, the website offers a wide range of facts and advice to those who are diagnosed or those looking for more information on the conditions. However, in no way do they provide diagnoses, and conveniently give a link to Physician Finder and Treatment Center lists.

http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma/index.php-
Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. If detected early it has a 100% cure rate. If, however, a patient waits too long, it may have spread to other organs, making it very difficult to treat.

The sub-page here goes into detail the facts of malignant melanoma. Melanoma begins in the melanocytes of the skin where the pigment comes from. Despite what I originally thought, there are 4 sub-categories of malignant melanoma. They are: superficial spreading melanoma, lentigo maligna, acral lentiginous melanoma and nodular melanoma. Aside from a definition of the four types, a description is also given so that the characteristics may be recognized when giving a self-examination. At the end of this page, pictures are displayed of two examples of malignant melanoma.

http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/index.php-

With the upcoming summer months, it is very important to know your sun safety tips. Particularly in children it is important to wear sunscreen and protective clothing. This sub-page provides seven essential tips on how to keep your skin healthy and protected all year long. Also on this page, the Foundation gives its “seal” of approval to products that can be purchased which have a certain amount of UV protection in them including: sunscreen, window films and sunglasses. A list of products containing the seal can be obtained by calling the 1-800 number provided, or by writing to the address given. Also, from this page there are three links that lead to more interesting information on the prevention of any type of skin cancer. One link includes explanations on how UV works. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends wearing a SPF 15 or higher.

The link provided about protective clothing is quite interesting because it shows you that there are new clothes that protect the skin from more UV rays that cause cancer than normal clothing. In addition there is an interesting study about 4 groups of hairless mice and how the new UV clothing protected them.

Year-round sun protection is important. The Skin Cancer Foundation webpage makes it a point to provide helpful tips and hints on keeping the family (especially younger children) protected. General and hopefully widely known information includes: avoid sun at peak times (10 am and 4 pm), always wear a minimum of SPF 15 even when doing outdoor activities, and cover up with long sleeves and long pants in darker colors that will absorb the majority of the UV rays given off by the sun. Also, contrary to popular belief the heat is not an indicator of how damaging the sun will be for that day. This page explains and debunks this myth.

http://www.skincancer.org/children/index.php

Educating children while they are young about the dangers of skin cancer is very important. This page is an excellent source of how to prevent sunburns, which are precursors to cancer later on in the children life. The Skin Cancer Foundation has founded the Children’s Sun Protection Program that targets school aged children and provides them and their parents with protective information. There are many links to categories in the program including sun-proofing your baby, an important step to healthy habits in adulthood.

In conclusion, this major website is both informative and practical. I recommend this site to anyone who is looking for any information regarding the sun and skin cancers or skin cancers in general. Even if this site does not provide the information directly, there are links that can bring you elsewhere.

MLO 4/21/05

minor review-skin cancer-Desiree-FINAL DRAFT

2005-04-19T09:12:00.000-07:00

My minor website for skin cancer is the Melanoma Education Foundation at www.skincheck.org. This website is all about melanoma. It gives you information on what melanoma is, how it starts, who is at risk, and warning signs of melanoma. There is also a section which instructs you on how to check your skin for melanoma. It also goes into detail about the dangers of ultraviolet rays to the skin. There is also a personal story about a young man who died of melanoma. There are pictures of people who have died of melanoma on the web site as well as pictures of what the skin looks like once infected with melanoma. For those who are interested in more information about melanoma, there is a links and reference section on the website.

major site - skin cancer-Desiree-FINAL DRAFT

2005-04-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

My major website for skin cancer is a www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/whatis.html. This website provides an overview on skin cancer. It describes the types of skin cancer, causes of skin cancer, who gets skin cancer, and prevention and early detection for skin cancer. It describes basil cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma briefly. There are links in this website that will link you to more detailed websites about each type of skin cancer.

At www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/basal_cell_carcinoma.html, you get information pertaining to basal cell carcinoma as well as see pictures of this type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer. It usually appears on skin that is exposed to sun. Warning signs are (1) small translucent growth with rolled edges (may or may not have color) with small blood vessels on the surface; (2) open sores that don't heal; (3) cluster of slow-growing, shiny pink or red lesions that are slightly scaly and bleed easily; and (4) waxy scar that is skin-colored, white, or yellow. If you have any of these symptoms, you should see a dermatologist right away. If it is not treated, basal cell carcinoma can spread and the surgery required to remove the cancer can result in loss of an eye, ear, or nose.

Squamous cell carcinoma is usually found on skin exposed to the sun. It can also form inside the mouth, on the lips, or on genitals. Warning signs are crusted or scaly area on skin with a red, inflamed base; persistent, non-healing ulcerated (not covered) bump or thickened skin on lowere lip; wart-like growth, sores that don't heal; or red, scaly patches or bumps. Squamous cell carinoma can spread and become lethal if not treated. If the tumor begins on the ear or lip, the tumor can spread to the lymph nodes or internal organs. With early treatment, this skin cancer can be cured. Once the cancer spreads, it can be deadly. You can see pictures of squamous cell carcinoma at www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/squamous_cell_carcinoma.html.

Melanoma is the rarest and most serious type of skin cancer. It is extremely important to detect melanoma quickly because it spreads quickly. Unlike basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma can be found anywhere on the body, not just skin exposed to sun. The most common places it is found is on the back, buttocks, legs, scalp. neck, and behind the ears. Melanoma is usually found in a pre-existing mole. Sometimes a new mole is formed which could be the onse of melanoma. A biopsy must be performed to distinguish if a mole is cancerous. You can do a self check for melanoma by following the ABCD's of melanoma detection (asymmetry, border, color, and diameter). You can see pictures of melanoma at www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/melanoma.html.

Everyone is suseptable to skin cancer. We must all take preventative measures to ensure that we don't get skin cancer. If you must spend long periods of time in the sun, you should use sun block with a SPF of 15 or higher to all areas of that body that are exposed to the sun, cover up when in the sun, wear sunglasses with 100% UV protection, and avoid sunbathing. You can get more information about preventing skin cancer at www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/prevention.html.

Skin Cancer Foundation

2005-03-10T11:25:00.000-08:00

Through the American Academy of Dermatology I have found a website that may be of interest to those researching skin cancer, or those who are experiencing or have experienced skin cancer or know someone who is dealing. www.skincancer.org This website provides information on the 3 types of skin cancer (basal, squamous, and melanoma) as well as the pre-cursor to some skin cancers the actinic keratosis. In addition, this website gives information on prevention of skin cancer, specifically how to protect children. Many people aren't aware that the amount of unprotected exposure to the sun when you are young increases your risk of skin cancer later on in life.
I recommend this site to anyone looking to find information without having to dig for it.

~Meghan

Desiree

2005-03-08T17:21:00.000-08:00

I am not sure how we are suppose to put the websites we are going to use on this blog. I do not know how to make the web site so that you can just click on it and be able to enter the website. Anyway, my websites are www.medlineplus/skincancer.html and www.skinphysician.com.

skin cancer and its increase

2005-02-14T07:15:00.000-08:00

hi its Tracey
I have rechearched and found out that the amount of skin cancer is on the rise dramaticlly in the past two decades, mainly because of the culmulative expose to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. If this trend continues , the National Cancer Institute warns, from 40 -50 percent of all amaricans living in the U.S.A will develop one type of skin cancer. Skin cancer falls into two broad areas: non-melanoma skin cancer (basal cell cancer and squamous-cell cancer), and melanoma.

Although skin cancer is can occur in people fo all races, those with darker skin typically have a lower risk because their skin contains more of the pigment melanin, which protects against skin cancer. Melanoma occurs 10 times more offten in white people than african amarican, and two to four times more frequently among whites than Hispanics. The insidence of skin cancer has increased dramatically amon white people during the past decade, but has remained stable among african amaricans.

After reading this I really am intrested in how I can use more sunscreen and stopp tanning I know now this is a serious disease that you can die from. I enjoy the sun but I need to be more aware of the powerful ultraviolet rays that are not good for you.

published by traceymurphy12001@yahoo.com

Hi I'm Michelle

2005-02-10T11:30:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, this is Michelle. I decided to do some research on skin cancer because it's such an interesting topic and these days you hear about cancer all the time. We just want people to know that skin cancer can affect anyone, that there are different types of skin cancer and ways we can possibly prevent it. I've also dealt with cancer in my family, ranging from lung cancer to breast cancer. My grandfather died of lung cancer and my aunt currently is battling breast cancer. I've researched both lung and breast cancer for the simple fact that it has such an impact in my life. Skin cancer is something that I don't have a lot of knowledge of and I would really like to know more about it because it something that can be susceptible to anyone and I would want to know how to protect myself from it.

skin cancer

2005-02-10T02:31:00.000-08:00

This is Desiree....I was just seeing if this is how you make an entry into the blog since my other entry went to comments

Hi I'm Meghan

2005-02-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

Hello, this is Meghan. I was interested in researching skin cancer because I've dealt with it a lot. My father was diagnosed with malignant melanoma a few years back (he was cured). However, I hear it all the time from him that I should stay out of the sun and use SPF 510 (just kidding, I only use 45). I also worked at a dermatologists office for a year and a half where I saw a lot of basal cell and squamous cell cancers removed. I've seen it and heard all about them but I would like to learn more about them. The office I worked at was Dartmouth Dermatology Associates in North Dartmouth for Dr. Snyder and Dr. Schappell. The website is www.dartmouthderm.com
Its not the most imformative of skin websites, but it gives you general information about some of the procedures the doctors perform.
I hope to hear from everyone else soon!