But…be careful, even after you’ve been given the all clear. According to a study out of Ireland, if you’ve been diagnosed and cured of melanoma, the more serious of the two types of skin cancer, you have twice the risk of developing another type of cancer. If you’ve been diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, the "mild" cancer that doesn’t spread, you may have up to a 57% higher chance of developing another cancer.

You can read more about the findings in this article, Skin cancer patients at greater risk for other cancer

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Tags: cancer blog, skin cancer, basal cell cancer, melanoma

Post from: Blisstree

Be vigilant about your health if you had skin cancer

Are you at high risk? Do you get your skin checked? My husband does, every six months and he’s had several suspicious spots removed. So did my oldest son when he was about 17 or son.

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Tags: cancer blog, melanoma, skin cancer checks

Post from: Blisstree

Melanoma – 1 man’s brief story on video

According to a press release, Dangerous skin cancer, German researchers have come up with a new set of guidelines to diagnose and treat the disease.

The German Cancer Society recommends specific treatments or therapeutic combinations, depending on the thickness of the tumor and its stage. For example, if the tumor has more than a specific thickness, it is recommended that the primary tumor should be surgically removed, together with the sentinel lymph nodes and in combination with immunotherapy. If surgical removal is not possible, radiotherapy is indicated. If there are distant metastases, physicians should perform monochemotherapy.

Translated into more simple terms, it means that the different treatment options should be based on how deep the cancer is and to what stage it has spread. The primary tumor is where the cancer first started and the sentinel lymph nodes are the first lymph nodes where cancer cells are filtered, or the closest ones. Finally, immunotherapy is treatment that uses your own immune system to fight the cancer, metastases is the spread of cancer, and monochemotherapy is the use of one type of chemotherapy drug, rather than a combination. So, in plain English, that reads:

The German Cancer Society recommends specific treatments or therapy combinations depending on how deep the tumor is and how far it has progressed. For example, if the tumor is more than a certain thickness, it is recommended that the tumor that started it all is removed along with the closes lymph nodes, to be followed by immunotherapy. If surgery isn’t possible, then radiation treatment is the next choice. If the cancer has spread beyond the initial area, then chemotherapy with one type of drug is the recommendation.

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Tags: cancer blog, guideline for melanoma diagnosis, guidelines for melanoma treatment, malignant melanoma

Post from: Blisstree

New guidelines for melanoma diagnosis and treatment

Earlier this week, a spot in his right cheek was removed as part of a routine check-up. Following biopsy results have showed that McCain is cancer-free.

Presumed Republican presidential nominee John McCain, who has a history of dangerous melanomas, had a spot of skin removed from his face today, his campaign said.

The patch of skin was removed from McCain’s right cheek during a routine checkup in Arizona, the candidate said. In 2000, an invasive melanoma was removed from the senator’s left temple.

McCain denied there were any serious problems when he discussed the procedure at a campaign stop in Bakersfield.

Read more from the LA Times.

Post from: Blisstree

Melanoma Survivor John McCain, Remains Skin Cancer-Free

I didn’t too. I just found out from The Beauty Channel.

Read it all here: Did you know it’s skin cancer awareness month? We do!

I agree, we must take precaution before basking out in the sun. Skin cancer happens. So it doesn’t hurt to put on the sunscreen that fits you and remember to moderate your stay in the sun. It pays to be cautious and not just act like you cannot have enough sun.

Here in the Philippines, summer is almost over. Summertime here is beach time. If your summer is just approaching, be ready for the beach and include healthy sun tips in your preparation.

You can still have a great day in the sun, folks!

Post from: Blisstree

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Such were the findings of Dr. Christine Brown, a dermatologist at at Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas.

Lips are more susceptible than skin to aging from chronic sun damage and also more prone to developing serious cancers.

“When skin cancer occurs on the lower lip, it has the potential to be much more aggressive and metastasize to surrounding lymph nodes,” Brown said in a prepared statement.

Shiny balms and glosses don’t offer protection. Instead, they attract the sun’s rays to the lips.

“What most people don’t realize is they’re actually increasing light penetration through the lip surface by applying something clear and shiny to them,” Brown said.

Women should only wear glossy lipsticks in the sun when they have a layer of sun protection on underneath, dermatologists advise.

What fitting findings in time for the summer. Honestly, I never liked the shiny lip glosses and balms.

What about you? What lip balm or gloss do you use?

Find more details from The Washington Post.

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Lip Balms, Glosses And Skin Cancer

“I went to see a specialist who thought they were better to be removed, and indeed he was correct,” he said.

McGregor, who is promoting the erotic thriller Deception, insisted the surgery was “not that big of a deal”.

The star admitted he was aware that having pale skin and spending time in the sun meant he was more at risk, and it “was best to be looked at” by doctors.

When asked if he found the experience frightening he said, sarcastically: “It was great fun having skin cancer, it was great, I really enjoyed it.”

Yeah, early detection and this case – removal – is indeed critical.

There goes another reminder that the sun isn’t always our friend, especially if you’ve got a fair complexion.

Source: BBC News

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Ewan McGregor Had Skin Cancer Scare

Researchers analyzed 51,704 melanoma cases in the United States and found that patients with scalp or neck melanomas died at 1.84 times the rate of patients with melanoma elsewhere on the body, including the face or ears.

The five-year survival rate for patients with scalp-neck melanomas was 83 percent, compared with 92 percent for patients with melanomas at other sites. The 10-year survival rate was 76 percent for scalp-neck melanomas and 89 percent for other melanomas.

The findings confirm that melanoma patient survival rates differ depending on where the cancer first appeared, the researchers said.

Because the melanoma is near the head/brain when it’s on the scalp and neck. That alone makes it more deadly, don’t you think?!

Th findings suggests that doctors should pay more attention to the scalp when examining for melanoma.

The Washington Post has the full report.

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Scalp and Neck Melanomas, More Deadly

U.S. television journalist Anderson Cooper reveals on his Web site that he had a “small spot” of skin cancer removed from his face this week.

“I’ve been off for the last couple of days,” the CNN news presenter wrote on his blog Wednesday morning.

“I had minor surgery on Monday. A small spot of skin cancer was removed from under my left eye. I hadn’t planned on mentioning this but I still have stitches and you’ll no doubt notice them tonight,” he explained. “Don’t want you to think I got into a fist fight with Charlie Rose.”

Read UPI’s full report. Get well soon Anderson Cooper!!

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Anderson Cooper and Skin Cancer

Melanoma is a cancer that develops from pigment-producing cells in the skin called melanocytes – thereby can be deadly.

Now, researchers at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) discovered a protein that stops the growth of melanoma – led by Michael Green.

Green and his colleagues began by designing experiments that would help them determine what separates melanomas from ordinary moles at the genetic level.

Moles, also known as nevi, and melanoma often result from the same genetic mutation, and the biological pathway that differentiates the two had been a mystery.

The new study uncovers a relatively unknown protein that regulates the melanocyte’s “decision” to ward off cancer by either entering a programmed hibernation or committing suicide.

The findings – identification of the genetic underpinnings of a new way to thwart one of the deadliest forms of cancer – have been reported by the team in the February 8, 2008, issue of the journal Cell.

Find more details from the HHMI News.

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Mole and Melanoma: A Tale of Two Melanocytes