early detection

Skin Cancer ABCDE [Show Notes]

 in Podcasts  tagged ABCDE / carcinoma / early detection / fair skin / melanoma / pre-cancer / skin cancer / sun exposure by

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Epidermis = top layer of skin.  Living cells divide and then add in proteins that causes cells to harden as they die and become and protective layer to keep out water and dirt and critters.  Some of those proteins give your skin its color (melanin) and they help block and reflect UV light from the sun to keep the living cells from being damaged.

Mutations = if UV light damages the cells’ DNA, then when the cells divide and replicate, they copy the “error” and reproduce an abnormal cell.  If certain mutations cause the cells to die, others cause the cells to be weak, but others cause the cells to become cancer.

3 types of skin cancer

  • Basal cell carcinoma – most common of these 3, more common in people with fair skin.  Skin growth is flesh colored, can look like skin tags.  Caused when a basal cell gets mutated and starts to grow.
    Squamous cell carcinoma – more common in people with fair skin. Scaly patches or sores that open, start to heal but reopen and never heal.  Caused when a keratinocyte (living, dividing skin cell) gets mutated in the middle of replicating.
    Melanoma – Moles are just a place where a lot of melanocytes gather in one place, but sudden moles or dark spots can be the tip of a bad iceberg.  This is the deadliest type of skin cancer.  Caused by mutations in the melanocytes.

Some benign (harmless) skin characteristics can resemble skin cancer, thus it’s easy to overlook them in the early stages.

A tool for early detection of melanoma

A – Asymmetry – you can’t fold it in half and all the edges match
B – Boarder – jaggedy, sharp boarders
C – Color – uneven color
D – Diameter – > 6mm (bigger than the eraser of a #2 pencil)
E – Evolving – changes shape, size, or color in a short amount of time (< 1 month)

This is why the National Skin Cancer Foundation recommends you do a monthly skin scan to check skin characteristics for changes or new ones.

Early detection is the number one step to improve survival of all cancers.

Precancer = Actinic Keratosis – dry and flakey places in the skin, can be the precursor of Squamous Cell Carcinoma.  Usually shows up after 40 years old.

Cancer is not just a disease that happens to the aged, but as you age, the probability of you being exposed to something that could mutate your cells goes up.

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Music Credits:  “Radio Martini” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

How Sunscreen Works [Show Notes]

 in Podcasts  tagged cancer / early detection / SPF / sun / sunblock / sunscreen / tan / UVA / UVB by

Two products to protect your skin from sun exposure

  • Sunscreen – filters the sunlight *like a screen on a window*; made up of organic compounds (like chemistry, not vegetables) that absorb UVA and/or UVB rays that reach your skin.  These are the products labeled with SPF numbers.
  • Sunblock – used to be opaque because it is supposed to completely block any sunlight from getting to your skin. *Think Screech from Saved By The Bell*.  Full of reflective particles to bounce the sunlight away from your body.  The particles have been micronized by technology so it is transparent to your eyes, but not to the UV light from the sun.

Lesson on Light

The light comes from the sun.  There’s visible light (ROYGBV) and that light bounces off of things and as it goes in your eyes, that’s how you can see things.  Along with the light we see, there is ultraviolet light (waves of light that are shorter and more energetic that the violet color light).  There are 3 types of UV light – 1 is absorbed and reflected by the atmosphere so it never makes it to us.  Then there is UVA and UVB.  UVA is more energetic and is most responsible for causing cell mutations that lead to cancer.  UVB is less energetic and is most responsible for causing your skin to tan.

A hand-drawn and colored sketch of the layers of the epidermis, with labeled parts. Sunscreen protects this layer.

UV rays travel through these layers of the skin and stimulate the living and dividing cells to divide more and create more melanin.  Reminder: melanin is your skin’s natural skin protectant because it will absorb UV rays in the higher layers to help prevent it from reaching the dividing cells.

SPF Math (Sun Protection Factor)

Step 1: find out how long you can be out in the sun without protection before your skin starts turning red or burning (example: 15 minutes)
Step 2: Multiply that “unprotected time” by the SPF number on the bottle (SPF 15) to get your “protected time” (15 x 15 = 225 minutes = 3 hr 45 min**)
**This is only if you don’t sweat and don’t get wet.  But it’s very hard to be in the sun and NOT sweat.  Plus your natural skin oils dilute it the longer it stays on the skin.

Protect Yo’self

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours no matter what.  They also recommend that you use SPF 15 (or higher) sunscreen. It should block UVA and UVB.  Use it every day, especially on your face, and use it all year round.  The daily UV exposure, if you’re unprotected, is what they suspect leads to a greater chance of skin cancer.

They also recommend UV-blocking sunglasses.

Clothes and hats are the best way to protect your skin from sun exposure.

Stay inside during peak hours (10 am – 4 pm) of radiation (less atmosphere to block and deflect sunlight).

Do a monthly, head-to-toe, skin scan to check for new or changing moles, freckles, and skin tags (or get a friend to help).  EARLY DETECTION!!

Have your doctor check your skin once a year.

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Music Credits:  “Radio Martini” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/