Tuesday, February 5, 2013
How Do You Check for Skin Cancer - Basal Cell Squamous
How to Check for Skin Cancer
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditMore than 1 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States, and that number has been rising for the past few decades.[1] No matter where you live or how dark your skin is, you are vulnerable to skin cancer if you spend any time exposed to UV rays, whether they're from the sun or from tanning beds. Along with taking preventative measures, the best way to halt the threat of skin cancer is early detection.
Steps
Identify the Cancer- Know all the different types of cancer and what they look like. It is very important that you learn the different signs before you assume you have some kind of cancer and freak out.
- Basal cell cancer. Most often found in areas that get exposed to a lot of sun, such as the head, neck, and arms; flat, firm, pale areas; small, raised, pink or red, translucent, shiny, waxy, "pearly" areas; may bleed after minor injury; may have one or more abnormal blood vessels, a lower area in their center, and/or blue, brown, or black areas; larger areas could be oozing or crusting; small blood vessels may be seen;
- Squamous cell cancer. Most often found in areas that get exposed to a lot of sun, such as the head, neck, and arms; lumps with rough, scaly, or crusted surface; flat reddish patches that grow slowly; sometimes accompanied by ulceration or bleeding
- Actinic keratosis. Small (less than 1/4 inch) rough spots; pink-red or flesh-colored; usually on the face, ears, back of the hands, and arms;
- Melanomas. Look for changes in size, shape, or color of a mole or the appearance of a new spot during adulthood. Use the "ABCD rule".
- A - Asymmetry, one half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.
- B - Border is irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
- C - Color varies (brown, black, red, white blue).
- D - Diameter is larger than 6 millimeters across (about 1/4 inch -- the size of a pencil eraser).
- Become familiar with warning signs. Not all skin cancer cases exhibit classic symptoms as described above. Look out for the following, as well:
- Any new growths, spots, bumps, patches, or sores that don't heal after 2 to 3 months
- Spread of pigment from the border of a spot to surrounding skin
- Redness or a new swelling beyond the border
- Change in sensation -- itchiness, tenderness, or pain
- Change in the surface of a mole -- scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a bump or nodule
- Mark your calendar. In addition to your annual check-up with a doctor who can inspect your skin and answer any questions you may have, plan to give yourself a skin exam once a month.
- Stand in front of a full-length mirror. Skin cancer can form anywhere on your body so it is very important that you perform a very thorough self exam. Use a wall mirror to give yourself a better view of your skin. You should also have a hand-held mirror and, if possible, a spouse or close friend to help you check out areas like your lower back or the backs of your thighs.
- Examine your entire body. It can be helpful to have a list in front of you. Don't skip any of these steps as you perform your self-exam:
- Check your face, lips, ears, behind your ears, and eyes. Use a flashlight to check the inside of your mouth.
- Check your neck, shoulders, belly and chest. You may need to lift your breasts or any excess skin so you can check the skin underneath.
- Check your underarms, arms, hands, between your fingers, and fingernail beds.
- Using a hand mirror, check your buttocks, genitals, lower back, upper back, and the back of your neck. Face your backside to the large mirror and use your hand held mirror to see your reflection.
- Check your legs, ankles, feet, toes, toenail beds and between your toes. You can check your front while sitting down, but you will need to use a hand held mirror to see the bottoms of your feet, your calves, and the backs of your thighs.
- Part your hair and check your scalp.
- Seek medical attention if you find anything that you think might resemble skin cancer. Get help as soon as possible; consider calling your local clinic and making an appointment for the next day. When skin cancer is concerned, it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Video
Tips
- If the surgical wound does not heal in about a month after surgery, it is advised to contact your closest Wound Center, for an exam and healing. This is covered by most Medical Insurance policies, including Medicare.
- Treatments for eye melanoma:
- Cryotherapy and plaque therapy (to freeze and/or burn the melanoma)
- Laser therapy.
- Surgery to remove the eye. This is called an enucleation. If the tumor is very large and too advanced for just an enucleation, more extensive surgery called orbital exenteration will be needed. An orbital exenteration removes not only the eyeball, but also the eye muscles, other eye and orbital structures and also the eyelids.
- Surgery to remove part of the eye (especially if it's on the iris), such as iridectomy (removal of a piece of the iris) and iridocyclectomy (removal of a piece of the iris along with the ciliary muscle).
- Chemotherapy
- Radiotherapy.
- If you have ever had a blistering, second degree sunburn before, you have an increased risk of skin cancer. Your risk is twice as high as that of someone who has never had a blistering burn.
- Remember melanoma is not just a skin cancer: the other part of the body in which a melanoma can occur is the eye. Check your eyes too as melanomas can occur anywhere on the eye: on the iris, conjunctiva, eyelids and inner parts which can be the choroid. It is a rare cancer, but the most common eye cancer in adults. Eye melanoma symptoms:
- In the early stages the person may have no symptoms (the person will not know there is a melanoma in the eye till he/she has their eyes checked and looked into with the opthalmoscope by the optician/opthalmologist/optometrist).
- When it grows larger - there may be blurred vision, double vision, decrease in vision, retinal detachment and loss of vision)
- If the melanoma is on the conjunctiva or the iris it will be seen as a blackish/brownish spot on the iris/conjunctiva.
- If not caught and treated early, eye melanomas can spread to other parts of the body, mainly the liver.
- The benign form of eye melanoma is called a nevus. Regular checks and close watching on it are done to ensure that it doesn't turn into a melanoma.
Warnings
- Do not use this guide as a replacement for skin cancer treatment. If you happen to find out you have skin cancer, contact a doctor.
Things You'll Need
- Hand mirror
- Wall mount mirror
- Chair
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- How to Prevent Skin Cancer for Kids
- How to Remove a Raised Mole
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- How to Celebrate Cancer Awareness Month
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- How to Choose Sunscreen
- How to Get a Skin Tag Removed by a Doctor
Sources and Citations
- American Cancer Society - Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection
- VideoJug.com Original source of this information. Shared with permission.
- Basal Cell Carcinoma
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma
- Melanoma
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Check for Skin Cancer. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Chew Betel Nut - To Prevent Squamous Cell In Mouth
How to Chew Betel Nut in Papua New Guinea
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit
If you ever go to Papua New Guinea, the first thing you will notice is the brilliant red-stained teeth and lips of the local men and women. Betel nut, or what the locals call buai [boo-eye] is the cause. Green betel nut is a nut that grows in the tropical climates of South East Asia and is popular in the South Pacific Islands. It can be found on every street corner in Papua New Guinea and is chewed as part of social occasions or as a part of everyday life. Betel nut has a mild stimulant effect and in addition to reasons of tradition local people chew it for stress reduction, heightened awareness, and suppression of hunger. Many foreign visitors try betel nut as a way to experience a part of the local Papua New Guinea culture. In addition, if a visitor arrives at a local person’s house for dinner, the visitor will most likely be given betel nut as a welcome offering. If you would like to learn how to chew betel nut, follow these steps.
Steps
Break the betel nut open by cracking the shell with your teeth. Take the meaty center out of the shell and start chewing it. Do not swallow the fibrous residue of the nut as it is said to cause stomach aches
- Chew the betel nut for 2-5 minutes or until it forms a wad in your mouth.
- Slightly moisten the mustard seed with your mouth and dip it into the jar/bag of lime powder.
- Move the betel nut wad to the side of your mouth and then bite off the piece of mustard seed that has the lime powder on it. Make sure to not put the lime directly on your mouth or gums as they will feel a burning sensation. Instead try to bite the mustard seed directly into the betel nut wad. As you chew the mixture together, they will form a chemical reaction that will make your teeth and lips red and provide a mild high.
- Know that as you chew, spit out the fibrous residue of the nut as needed. Most people just spit on the street so there is often red splattering of betel nut all along the street and sidewalks.
- Keep chewing until there is no more betel nut left. You may have a mild euphoric feeling because of betel nuts’ mild stimulant effects.
Tips
- Ask any local Papua New Guinean betel nut chewer for help. They'll be more than helpful to see you through your first betel nut experience.
Warnings
- The Betel Nut is a proven carcinogen. While relatively uncommon in other countries, oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the most common malignant cancer in Papua New Guinea, with an average 47% mortality within 5 years of diagnosis. One study shows chewing Betel Nut increases the risk of oral cancer 28-fold. Betel Nut also comes in convenient tea bag-like pouches, but the carcinogenic effect of these has not been tested. Use Caution.
- Do not chew Betel Nut if you are not aware of the risks. Betel Nut is a drug and can become very addictive.
- Betel nut will make your teeth and lips very red, sometimes permanently if chewed a lot. When chewed over long periods of time it can also lead to gum and teeth disease.
- Betel nut is often compared to tobacco. It can be very addictive and habit forming. In many places in PNG you will find “no betel nut” signs that are similar to “no smoking signs.”
- The ingestion of Betel nut is associated with the development of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also know as Lou Gehrig's disease.
- Be careful when spitting betel nut juice (or being spat on) when chewing in public places. Local PNG betel nut chewers tend to be careless when spitting betel nut juice.
- The red juice can leave stains on clothing which can be difficult to remove.
- Do not visit public betel nut markets alone if you are a tourist or an expatriate. Go with a local guide because public markets, especially in Port Moresby, have quite a lot of rascal activity.
- The Papua New Guinea Department of Health does not encourage chewing of betel nut as it is said to be a common cause of oral cancers.
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