Skin, the body's largest organ, provides protection, regulates temperature, retains water, produces vitamins and hormones and allows sensory perception. Skin consists of three layers; epidermis---the outer layer, dermis---the inner layer and...
The progression of cancer--skin cancer included--is organized by stages. Doctors use stages 0, I, II, III and IV to describe how invasive a person's cancer has become. These stages help doctors and health care providers to communicate easily the...
Skin cancer is caused by the formation of malignant cells in skin tissue. According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), basal cell carcinoma (cancer arising in the basal cells of the lower epidermis) and squamous cell carcinoma (cancer...
The American Cancer Society explains that two types of skin cancer exist: non-melanoma and melanoma. Non-melanoma is the most common, and begins in the cells of the outer layer of skin. Melanoma, the more serious, begins in the cells responsible...
Dry skin has a number of causes, ranging from the ordinary to the serious. The first step in finding a solution is analyzing your facial care regimen. If you moisturize and exfoliate regularly, chances are your dry skin isn't caused by a simple...
Many people, especially as they age, suffer from dark spots on their skin. Dark spots, also known as hyperpigmentation, can occur anywhere on the skin, but are especially common on skin that frequently is exposed to the sun, such as the hands and...
Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer found on the human body. Anyone at any age can develop skin cancer, although the risk increases if someone is exposed to ultraviolet rays such as from the sun or in a tanning bed. The early...
The skin is the largest organ on the body, report doctors at the National Institutes of Health. The six to nine pounds of skin on the body require care and consideration because the skin protects the internal organs from viruses and bacteria that...
Visual changes to the skin on your neck are inevitable as you age. Some changes may be harmless, even if they are cosmetically disturbing. Other changes can indicate an underlying disease or the development of a serious medical condition, so it is...
Ears are generally very tender and sensitive. If you develop bumps on the top of your ears, it may be uncomfortable and painful. It may make tasks, such as talking on a telephone, more difficult to perform. Depending upon the cause of the bumps,...
Surgical excision, the first step in treating melanoma, works well for many patients in the early stages of melanoma, the deadliest of all skin cancers. The surgery is an outpatient procedure usually performed in the doctor’s office....
Malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer that arises in melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin, or skin pigment. Melanoma is less common than other types of skin cancers, but it is more likely to spread to other areas of the body,...
Melanoma is a very dangerous form of skin cancer that readily spreads via lymph nodes to other parts of the body. Melanoma originates in the melanocytes, the cells that produce pigmentation or coloring of our skin, hair and eyes, according to the...
Your skin is the largest of all the body's organs, and, like every other part of the body, it begins to exhibit signs of wear and tear as you age. Skin wrinkling, dryness, discoloration and growths are all common symptoms of aging. Older skin also...
Melanoma is the rarest type of skin cancer, but, according to the Melanoma Center, it is also the most fatal. It develops in skin cells called melanocytes, which make melanin. Melanin gives color to parts of the body such as skin, eyes and hair....
Exercise is essential for good health and weight management. For people with cancer, exercise plays an important role in quality of life, too. Despite its beneficial effects, exercise can be dangerous when done incorrectly. Learning about the...
Skin growths usually are harmless, though they should be monitored for changes that could indicate more serious complications. Skin lumps that easily roll under your touch and are soft are called lipomas and typically are benign, according to the...
Skin cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic, is the abnormal growth of skin cells. Treatment depends on the type of skin cancer, how deep it is and how widespread the cancer is in the body. Multiple small superficial skin cancers might be able to be...
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from multiplying and spreading in the body. There are different types of cancer that can occur in different parts of the body. The different procedures in chemotherapy are aimed at...
Melanoma is a common, serious form of skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, there will be approximately 68,720 new cases of melanoma and approximately 8,650 deaths resulting from melanoma in the United States in 2009. Melanoma...
Breast cancer is a prevalent and potentially devastating disease. Breast cancer begins with a small tumor growth within the breast tissue. In the early stages, the cancer is minimally invasive and remains contained within the breast tissue and...
Malignant melanoma, or skin cancer, forms in the cells of the skin that create pigment in the hair, skin and eyes. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma strikes all age groups, but heredity plays a role in terms of the risk of...
Liver cancer is diagnosed in stages so that patients, families and physicians understand the gravity of the diagnosis. End stage liver cancer is an inoperable condition, where signs of total liver failure are beginning to manifest. Many symptoms...
Look closely at your pathology report and make sure all your personal information is correct. Look at your name, the date and type of surgery and every other detail that identifies that it is yours. Check your clinical history and make sure it is...
Melanoma is cancer that develops in skin cells called melanocytes, the cells that contain pigment, according to the National Cancer Institute. Once cancer has been diagnosed, it is staged. Staging is a standardized system that describes the spread...
Breast cancer is a disease in which malignant cancer cells invade breast tissue. It can occur in men and women, although it is much more prevalent in women. The staging of cancer best describes the extent of spread throughout the body. It is based...
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that originates in the pigment-producing cells of the skin. In the early stages of the disease, cancerous cells are localized to the skin tissue; however, the cancer can spread to nearby and distant lymph nodes...
A functioning immune system can distinguish itself from all foreign substances that invade the body. It can also destroy abnormal cells of the body. Thus, a weakened immune system raises the risk of developing disease and even the risk of death....
Doctors divide breast cancer into four stages that take into account various factors. It may depend on the size of the tumor or whether the cancer cells have spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body. In stage 4 breast cancer, the...
Self-exams are a large part of the individual's fight against cancer, including nonmelanoma skin cancer. Learn about non-melanoma skin cancer from a doctor in this video on cancer.
