SKIN CANCER & HEALTH MAINTENANCE Flashcards
GENERAL SKIN CARE
Treat skin gently Limit bath time Avoid strong soaps Shave carefully Pat dry Moisturize dry skin Eat a healthy diet
emollients
eucerin vanicream cetaphil nutraderm aquaphor vaseline
hydrating the skin
- apply an emollient immediately after bathing or showering - leaving some water on skin
- best emollients are eucerin vanicream cetaphil nutraderm aquaphor vaseline
- lotions contain more water & alcohols than creams & ointments, and should therefore be avoided as they can worsen dry skin
don’t over-exfoliate!
- important not to over-exfoliate the skin, as this can disrupt the epidermis and cause increased dryness
- as a result, the skin produces more oil, leading to possible acne
- can also disrupt blood vessels
- gentle exfoliation 1-2x/week or none is recommended
smoking damages the skin
causes the skin to age faster
Narrows the blood vessels in the outermost layers of skin
Damages collagen and elastin
Can contribute to wrinkles from the repetitive facial expressions made when smoking
Repeated low exposure to UV radiation results in
SKIN CANCER
Brief and early (childhood sunburns) increase the risk of
melanoma
A history of ____ or more severe sunburns in childhood and adolescence more than _______ the risk of developing melanoma
3
doubles
2/3 of melanoma may be attributed to excessive ______________
sunlight exposure
_________radiation causes most of the DNA damage
UVB
but UVA radiation is also important in the pathogenesis of melanoma
PRIMARY PREVENTION OF SKIN CANCER
Avoid Exposure to Ultraviolet Radiation
Use sunscreen > SPF 30
Protective clothing, hats and sunglasses
Schedule outdoor activities before 10am and after 4pm and seek shade when appropriate
Avoid all tanning including tanning salons
Use extra caution near water, snow and sand as they reflect damaging rays of the sun
sunscreen
- Educating parents so children are protected
- Generously apply sunscreen to ALL exposed skin using a SPF of 30 or higher that provides broad-protection from both UVA and UVB
- Reapply every 2 hours
- Reapply after swimming or sweating, use waterproof formulations
- Needs to be applied 15 to 20 minutes before sun exposure
- For sunscreen to work effectively it must be applied liberally and often
- Using sunscreen should not be an excuse to spend long amounts of time in the sun
- Sunscreen can delay sunburn
SKIN CANCER SCREENING / EARLY DETECTION
Inspect moles for changes
Remove suspicious moles
Remove actinic keratoses and other precancerous lesions
Monthly self-examinations are recommended for persons with:
- personal history of skin cancer
- 1st degree family history of skin cancer
- precursor lesions
- sun damaged skin
Yearly clinician skin exams for patients at high risk
Some patients may need exams every six months
skin cancers
melanoma
BCC
SCC
Kaposi’s Sarcoma
freckles vs SLs
freckles fade in the winter and become unapparent in older patients, whereas solar lentigines remain for life and become more prominent with aging
Extremely common, benign, bright red to violaceous, domed vascular lesions. They generally appear first around age 30 and increase in number over the years
cherry angiomas
Anytime a melanoma is suspected, an ______ biopsy is indicated
excisional
A punch biopsy from only part of the lesion may not be sufficient enough for the pathologist to make a proper histologic diagnosis or may miss the abnormal cells (false negative)
A shave biopsy will not assess the depth of a melanoma which is critical for staging
most serious form of skin cancer, it is a malignant tumor arising from melanocytes.
melanoma
MELANOMA IS
Far less common than basal cell and squamous cell cancers but accounts for the great majority of skin cancer deaths
Rapidly increasing incidence
Sex ratio 1:1
risk factors for melanoma
Fair skin (who tan poorly and burn easily)
Episodic intense sun exposure (i.e. a severe blistering sunburn history)
First degree family history
Precursor lesions include congenital nevi, especially **dysplastic nevi and giant hairy nevus
ABCDEs of MELANOMA
Asymmetry (irregular or raised) Border irregularity (dark or inhomogeneous) Color (multiple colors/shades) Diameter (>6mm) Enlargement or evolution
“ugly duckling”
SEVEN POINT CHECKLIST
o Major Features
change in size
change in color
change in shape
o Minor Features Inflammation Bleeding or Crusting Sensory change Lesion diameter > 6mm
In a study evaluating both the ABCDE and seven point evaluation systems:
All melanomas (n = 65) were detected using the seven point checklist and all were found to have at least one of the three major criteria defined by that system
Five (7.7 percent) melanomas were not picked up by the ABCDE checklist.
Screening examination of the total skin surface can increase the likelihood of detecting melanoma _____-FOLD compared with partial examination.
Men have more lesions on the ____ and women on their _______ since these are common areas of sunburn; screening of those sites could particularly aid early detection
SIX
back
lower legs
nevus that has some malignant characteristics
dysplastic nevus