Skin cancer.

Definition:
Skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells. It occurs when
unrepaired DNA damage to skin cells (most often caused by ultraviolet radiation
from sunshine or tanning beds) triggers mutations, or genetic defects, that lead the
skin cells to multiply rapidly and form malignant tumors.
Causes:
Some individual risk factors for skin cancer:
fair skin
blue, green or hazel eyes
light-coloured hair
tendency to burn rather than suntan
history of severe sunburns
many moles
freckles
a family history of skin cancer

Treatment:
Surgery: Minor surgery performed with local anaesthesia or general
anaesthesia in case lymph nodes need to be removed, as well.
Radiotherapy: You may have this instead of surgery if an operation is not
suitable for you. Radiotherapy can also be given after surgery to reduce the
chances of the cancer coming back. It can be used as well after the surgery
in order to reduce the chances of cancer coming back.
Photodynamic therapy (PDT): Used in skin cancers that arent too deep.
Cancerous cells are exposed to a special type of light that destroys these
cells.
Chemotherapy: is only occasionally used for skin cancer. There are other
types of chemotherapies that can be used to fight cancer, for instance
creams or tablets. They are only used if metastasis has already taken place.
The cost of the treatment varies depending on the stage of the skin cancer, on the
treatment that will be used, on the part of the body where the treatment will take
place, and the hospital where the procedure will be done.
Cost examples:
The cost of treatment varies, depending on the size, type, depth and
location of the lesions, and, importantly, the stage in which it was detected.
One study published in the Archives of Dermatology found average
treatment costs for skin cancers to range from $1,732 for stage I disease
to $56,059 for stage IV disease.
A cost comparison published in the Journal of the American Academy of
Dermatology found curettage and electrosurgery to be the least expensive
option, with an average cost of $471 for the procedures to performed on a
section of the cheek, and $392 for the procedures to performed on a section
of the arm. The study found the average cost of Mohs micrographic surgery
on the same parts of the body to be$1,263 (cheek) and $1,131 (arm).
Meanwhile, excision in an ambulatory surgery center results was found to
have an average cost of $2,334 (cheek) and $2,200 (arm). The study noted
that when the excision was performed in a hospital operating room, the
procedure was more expensive, at $3,085 and $2,680,respectively.
However, patients may pay substantially more, depending on such factors
as the particular hospital in which the procedures are performed and the
region of the country they seek treatment in. On one message board
patients reported paying about $1,625 for Mohs surgery. And at St.
Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, NE, the excision of a
malignant lesion can range in cost from $6,700 to $9,388, depending on the
size and location of the lesion.
When surgery isn't an option, radiation therapy may be used. According to
the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology cost comparison the
cost of radiation therapy treatment ranges from $2,591 to $3,460 for the
cheek and $2,559 to $3,431 for the arm, depending on the fractional dose
used.
Prevention:
Limit time in the midday sun
Watch for the UV index
Use shade wisely
Wear protective clothing
Use sunscreen
Avoid sunlamps and tanning parlours
Bibliography:
http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information
http://www.who.int/uv/faq/skincancer/en/index2.html
http://www.everydayhealth.com/pictures/celebrities-who-had-skin-cancer/
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/skin-cancer/treatment/which-treatment-for-
skin-cancer
http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2012/11/03/sociedad/029n2soc
http://www.worldlifeexpectancy.com/cause-of-death/skin-cancers/by-country/
http://health.costhelper.com/skin-cancer.html
Famous people who have battled skin cancer:
Hugh Jackman
Michelle Monaghan
Diane Keaton
Ewan McGregor
Skin cancer in Mexico:
It is a rare disease, however its mortality is high. Only 46% of Mexicans who have
this disease get diagnosed within the first stages of it.
Skin cancer in Mexico is more common in: Guadalajara, Monterrey, Mexico City,
Estado de Mxico, Oaxaca, and Chiapas.
Every year there are 1,300 new cases and 50% of those patients die.
The statistics show that Mexico is the 66
th
place in a worldwide scale in skin cancer
deaths. About 1.7 people die per a 100,000 population.
Skin cancer worldwide:
The countries with most skin cancer deaths are New Guinea, New Zealand,
Bhutan, Australia, Lebanon, Norway, and Macedonia. The reason for this is
because most of the people who live in there have white skin, besides
temperatures are extreme.
Skin cancer in the USA:
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More
than 70,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually.
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
Compared to Mexico, there are more people getting diagnosed of skin
cancer per year, but the percentages of people dying of this disease is only
of 13% compared to Mexicos 50% per year. The reason for this is that 84%
of those people go to get treatment on the first stages of the skin cancer.