How Does Skin Cancer Affect The Body – Is a new resource for anyone affected by pediatric cancer – patients and their parents, family members and friends.
Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that occurs mostly in adults. It also affects approximately 300–400 children and youth each year in the United States. Melanoma can develop on any part of the skin. It can also appear in the eye. If left untreated, melanoma can spread to other parts of the body.
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How Does Skin Cancer Affect The Body
In melanoma, cancer forms in skin cells called melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, which provides color (pigment) to the skin.
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Melanin helps protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation (UV radiation). Dark-skinned people have more melanin and are less likely to develop melanoma.
Melanoma accounts for about 1% of cancer in children under the age of 15. It occurs more often in older age groups.
Treatment for melanoma depends on the stage of the disease. Patients usually undergo surgery to remove the cancer. More severe disease may require further treatment. This may include targeted therapy, chemotherapy and/or immunotherapy.
When diagnosed early, survival rates for melanoma are good. But melanoma can spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body. This can make treatment difficult. Therefore, awareness and early detection of melanoma is quite important.
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It is best to detect skin cancer as early as possible. Skin cancer screening can help you do this.
D: Diameter – Melanoma is often larger than a pencil eraser when diagnosed. But it can be smaller.
This PET scan shows the spread of melanoma in a child. The green arrows mark where the cancer has spread.
In general, the stage of the disease is the most important factor in prognosis. Patients with melanoma that has not spread have an excellent prognosis. Survival rates are over 90% in the United States. But patients whose disease has spread are more difficult to treat.
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Melanoma survivors are at increased risk of cancer recurrence. Melanoma survivors should have regular examinations by a dermatologist at least every 6 months. Check their skin regularly and see a doctor at any sign of change.
Childhood cancer survivors should have long-term follow-up health care. Some treatments may cause delayed effects. These are health problems that appear months or years after treatment ends.
It is important to have regular checkups and screenings by a primary care provider. Your child should have a survivorship care plan after they finish treatment. It includes instructions on: ON THIS PAGE: You will find some basic information about this disease and the parts of the body it can affect. This is the first page of the Melanoma Guide. Use the menu to view other pages. Think of this menu as a road map for this entire guide.
This image shows the many layers of the skin. The thin upper layer is the epidermis. Beneath the epidermis is the dermis, which is the inner layer of the skin. Below this is the subcutaneous tissue, which is a deep layer of fat. The dermis is mainly composed of elastic fibers. It also contains hair follicles, which are supplied by veins and arteries that run around the dermis and subcutaneous tissues. Small muscles, called adductor muscles, are attached to the hair follicle, as are the sebaceous glands. The hair shaft grows from the hair follicle and the epidermis, which also contains pores for the sweat glands. Copyright 2004 American Society of Clinical Oncology. Robert Morreale / Visual Explanations, LLC
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The skin is the largest organ of the body. It protects against infection and injury and helps regulate body temperature. The skin also stores water and fat and produces vitamin D.
The deepest layer of the epidermis, which is just above the dermis, contains cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes produce the pigment or color of the skin.
Melanoma begins when healthy melanocytes mutate and grow out of control, forming a tumor. A tumor is malignant, which means it can grow and spread to other parts of the body. Sometimes, melanoma develops from a normal mole that a person already has on their skin. When this happens, the mole will undergo changes that can normally be seen, such as changes in the shape, size, color or border of the mole (see also Symptoms and signs). Other times, melanoma can develop on skin where there is no existing mole.
Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, including the head and neck, the skin under the nails, the genitals, and even the soles of the feet or the palms of the hands. Melanoma may not be pigmented like a mole. It may be colorless or slightly red, which is called amelanotic melanoma.
Rare Skin Cancers
When diagnosed early, melanoma can often be cured with surgery. However, melanoma is one of the most serious forms of skin cancer. It can grow deep into the skin. this is called invasive melanoma. It can also invade the veins and spread to lymph nodes and distant parts of the body. this is called metastatic melanoma.
This section focuses on cutaneous melanoma, which is melanoma that develops first in the skin. Less commonly, melanoma can develop on the mucous membranes that line the mouth, gastrointestinal tract, vagina, and other places around the body. This type of melanoma is called mucosal melanoma. Uveal melanoma is a melanoma that develops in the eye.
If you want a further introduction, explore this related article. Please note that these links will take you to other sections about:
. It helps explain the number of people diagnosed with melanoma and overall survival rates. Use the menu to select a different section to read in this guide.
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Comprehensive information for people with cancer, families and caregivers, from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), the voice of the world’s oncology professionals. Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a rare group of blood cancers that affect your skin. Most cutaneous T-cell lymphomas grow very slowly and are not life-threatening. Rarely, people with cutaneous T-cell lymphomas develop severe forms of the condition. Health care providers have treatments to relieve symptoms, but they cannot cure lymphomas.
In 10% of cases, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma can affect your lymph nodes (top), spleen, large intestine, small intestine (middle), and inguinal lymph nodes (bottom). In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, CD4 T-lymphocytes (inserts) morph and multiply out of control, eventually becoming lymphomas.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma is a group of rare blood cancers that affect the largest organ in your body – your skin. These cancers cause symptoms such as a rash, very itchy skin (pruritus), or other skin problems that may look like common skin disorders. Most cutaneous T-cell lymphomas develop very slowly and are not life-threatening, but some people may develop severe forms of the condition. Health care providers have treatments to relieve symptoms, but they cannot cure lymphomas.
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Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are part of a larger group of diseases called non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Non-Hodgkin’s lymphomas are cancers that start in certain white blood cells called lymphocytes. Two types of lymphocytes – CD4 and CD8 – help regulate your immune system. In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, the T cells mutate and become cancer cells that multiply uncontrollably.
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas can look like common skin problems, such as psoriasis, eczema, or even an allergic reaction. Many people have symptoms for years before receiving a diagnosis. The two most common subtypes of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma are cosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome. Each subtype can affect your body in different ways:
Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are blood cancers that affect your skin, but they are not skin cancers. The difference lies in where the cancer starts. In cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, white blood cells called lymphocytes change, become cancer cells that multiply and cause symptoms such as widespread redness, an itchy rash, large raised patches of skin, or small firm lumps (nodules). Skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma occurs when skin (epidermal) cells change, become abnormal skin cells that multiply and form tumors on or under your skin.
They can be serious illnesses but this does not happen very often. For example, cosis fungoides, the most common subtype, mainly affects your skin, develops very slowly, and is easily treated.
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Cutaneous T-cell lymphomas are twice as likely to affect men and people assigned as male at birth as women and people assigned as female at birth. These lymphomas usually affect people between the ages of 40 and 60. People who are black are more likely to develop these conditions than people who are white or Asian American.
These are rare diseases. Health care providers estimate that cosis fungoides, the most common form of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma, affects 1 in every million people in the United States.
Symptoms vary depending on the type and stage of the disease. For example, the symptoms of cosis fungoides may start as red rashes or red scaly patches on your body. Sézary syndrome also affects your skin, but it can spread to your blood.
Your healthcare provider will review your medical history and perform a physical exam. They will focus on any patch or plaque on your skin. They may ask if you have any allergies.
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Health care providers use cancer staging systems to plan treatments and develop prognosis or expected outcomes. cosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome
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