Related topics: melanoma



Skin cancer

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Skin cancer is a malignant growth on the skin which can have many causes. The most common skin cancers are basal cell cancer, squamous cell cancer, and melanoma. Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin), so a tumor is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers detectable in the early stages. There are three common and likely types of skin cancer, each of which is named after the type of skin cell from which it arises. Unlike many other cancers, including those originating in the lung, pancreas, and stomach, only a small minority of those afflicted will actually die of the disease. Skin cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed cancer, surpassing lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer. Melanoma is less common than basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, but it is the most serious—for example, in the UK there are 9,500 new cases of melanoma each year, and 2,300 deaths. More people now die of melanoma in the UK than in Australia. It is the most common cancer in the young population (20 – 39 age group). It is estimated that approximately 85% of cases are caused by too much sun.[citation needed] Non-melanoma skin cancers are the most common skin cancers. The majority of these are called basal cell carcinomas. These are usually localised growths caused by excessive cumulative exposure to the sun and do not tend to spread.

For more information about Skin cancer, read the full article at Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.


News tagged with skin cancer

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Special ultrasound accurately identifies skin cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Dec 01, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

High-frequency ultrasound with elastography can help differentiate between cancerous and benign skin conditions, according to a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).


Sunscreen makes good economic sense

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 30, 2009 | popularity 2.8 / 5 (4) | comments 3

(PhysOrg.com) -- Applying sunscreen on a regular basis not only prevents cancer, but will save the government money.


Kangaroos may hold skin cancer cure: study

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 30, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Kangaroos may provide the key to a potential treatment to prevent skin cancer, Australian scientists said Monday.


New device enables early detection of cancerous skin tumors

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 24, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev are developing a new device that detects cancerous skin tumors, including melanomas that aren't visible to the naked eye.


Text message reminders can encourage healthy action

Medicine & Health / Health

created Nov 16, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

People who received daily text messages reminding them to apply sunscreen were nearly twice as likely to use it as those who did not receive such messages, a new study led by a UC Davis Health System dermatologist has found. ...


Switching immunosuppressants reduces cancer risk in kidney

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Nov 02, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Switching to a newer type of immunosuppressant drug may reduce the high rate of skin cancer after kidney transplantation, according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and ...


Do drug therapies raise risk of bladder cancer?

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Oct 26, 2009 | popularity 4 / 5 (1) | comments 0

In her most recent study of possible triggers of cancer among northern New England residents, Dartmouth epidemiologist Margaret R. Karagas, Ph.D., and her team identified an enhanced risk to the bladders of patients taking ...


Study reveals possible link between IBD therapy and skin cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Oct 26, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Findings from a new retrospective cohort study presented at the American College of Gastroenterology's 74th Annual Scientific meeting in San Diego indicate that patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), especially ...


Melanoma treatment options one step closer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Oct 20, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A targeted chemotherapy for the treatment of skin cancer is one step closer, after a team of University of Alberta researchers successfully synthesized a natural substance that shows exceptional potential to specifically ...


Resident physicians seldom trained in skin cancer examination

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Oct 19, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Many resident physicians are not trained in skin cancer examinations, nor have they ever observed or practiced the procedure, according to a report in the October issue of Archives of Dermatology.


Researchers find demand for cosmetic and surgical procedures in dermatologic surgery rising rapidly

Medicine & Health / Other

created Oct 05, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the Laser and Skin Cancer Center of Indiana, (Carmel, Indiana), found that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of procedures performed and patient ...


FDA panel backs Schering-Plough cancer drug

Medicine & Health / Medications

created Oct 05, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(AP) -- Federal health advisers voted 6-4 on Monday that the potential benefits of a Schering-Plough drug outweigh its toxic risks as a treatment for late-stage skin cancer.


New drug shows promise in the fight against malignant melanoma

New drug shows promise in the fight against malignant melanoma

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Sep 29, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (5) | comments 1

(PhysOrg.com) -- Gavin Robertson is not a man who uses the word ‘hate’ lightly, but he makes no secret of his desire to slay the dragon that is malignant melanoma.


New study resolves the mysterious origin of Merkel cells

New study resolves the mysterious origin of Merkel cells

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Sep 28, 2009 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0

A new study resolves a 130-year-old mystery over the developmental origin of specialized skin cells involved in touch sensation. The findings will appear in the October 5, 2009 issue of the Journal of Cell Bi ...


The Medical Minute: Robotic surgery for treatment of prostate cancer

Medicine & Health / Cancer

created Sep 25, 2009 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

(PhysOrg.com) -- Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States (excluding skin cancers) and is second only to lung cancer as a contributor to cancer deaths in American men.