Skin & Eye Cancers

Question 1

Skin Cancers:

Answer 1

Basal Cell Carcinoma (B)
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (B)
Melanoma (M)

Question 2

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)

Answer 2

• most common carcinoma
• increased risk/common cause: increased age, UV, radiation, sun exposure
• tends to grow slow due to high rate of apoptosis & radially
• rarley metastasizes

Question 3

Squamous Cell Carcinonma (SCC)

Answer 3

• common carcinoma
• Increased risk/ common causes: UV, radiation, sun exposure, age.
• tends to grow slow & radially
• usually diagnosed prior to metastasis

Question 4

Melanoma:

Answer 4

• not associated with increasing age
• increased risk: severe sun burn at young age, fair skin, green/blue eyes
• some genetically predisposed
• requires fewer mutations to get to aggressive melanoma
• tends to grow vertically so often metastaised by diagnosis

Question 5

why do only some of the secondary deposits of melanoma in the liver are pigmented?

Answer 5

The pigment is melanin, the well-differentiated secondaries still produce melanin while the poorly differentiated ones do not so appear pale.