What are the common types of skin cancer? Posted on January 31, 2022February 10, 2022 by Isabelle Dunster What is skin cancer? Skin cancer occurs when skin cells grow abnormally, often after the skin is exposed to the sun. Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer anywhere in the world. This is due largely to our climate, the fact that many of us have fair skin, and our proximity to the equator (high UV levels). How many types of skin cancer are there? There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Other, less common types of skin cancer, include: Kaposi sarcoma is a rare form of skin cancer that develops in the skin’s blood vessels and causes red or purple patches on the skin or mucous membranes.Merkel cell carcinoma causes firm, shiny nodules that occur on or just beneath the skin and in hair follicles. Merkel cell carcinoma is most often found on the head, neck and trunk.Sebaceous gland carcinoma is an uncommon and aggressive cancer originating in the oil glands. Sebaceous gland carcinomas, usually appearing as hard, painless nodules can develop anywhere, but most occur on the eyelid. Read on to learn more about the three major types of skin cancers, their signs and treatment. Basal Cell Skin Cancer What is Basal Cell Skin Cancer? Basal cell skin cancer occurs in the basal cells, a type of skin cell that produces new cells as the old ones die. Basal cell skin cancer is the most common form of skin cancer. What are the signs of Basal Cell Skin Cancer? Basal cell skin cancer usually occurs in sun-exposed areas of your body, such as your neck or face. It usually presents as a small, clear bump on the skin. Basal cell carcinoma may appear as a: · Bump with a pearly appearance · Flat brown or flesh-coloured lesion · Bleeding or scabbing sore How is basal cell skin cancer treated? Basal cell skin cancer is often treated with surgery to remove the cancer and some of the healthy tissue around it. Surgical options include: Surgical excision: in this procedure, your doctor cuts out the cancerous lesion and a surrounding margin of healthy skin. The margin is examined under a microscope to be sure there are no cancer cells.Mohs surgery: during Mohs surgery, the doctor removes the cancer layer by layer, examining each layer under the microscope until no abnormal cells remain. Squamous cell skin cancer What is Squamous Cell Skin Cancer? Squamous cell skin cancer is the second most common form of skin cancer, after basal cell skin cancer. Squamous cell skin cancer is characterised by abnormal, accelerated growth of squamous cells, located near the surface of the skin. What are the signs of squamous cell skin cancer? Squamous cell skin cancer usually occurs on sun-exposed areas of the body, such as the face, ears and hands. People with darker skin are more likely to develop squamous cell skin cancer on areas that aren’t often exposed to the sun. Squamous cell carcinoma may appear as a: · Firm red nodule · Flat lesion with a scaly, crusted surface How is squamous cell skin cancer treated? Most squamous cell skin cancers can be completely removed with relatively minor surgery. Surgical options include: Curettage and electrodessication: a procedure to remove the surface of the skin cancer with a scraping instrument (curet) and then searing the base of the cancer with an electric needle.Laser therapy: an intense beam of light vaporizes growths, usually with little damage to surrounding tissue and with a reduced risk of bleeding, swelling and scarring.Freezing: this treatment involves freezing cancer cells with liquid nitrogen (cryosurgery). It is the preferred option for treating superficial skin lesions. Melanoma skin cancer What is melanoma? Melanoma is a type of skin cancer that begins in the melanocytes – a cell that produces and contains the pigment called melanin. Melanoma skin cancer is much less common than basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers, however, it is far more dangerous as it is much more likely to spread to other parts of the body if it’s not caught early. What are the signs of melanoma? Melanoma tumours are usually brown or black, but they can also appear pink, tan or even white. They can look like: · A large brownish spot with darker speckles · A mole that changes in color, size or feel or that bleeds · A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black · A painful lesion that itches or burns How is melanoma treated? Surgery is the most common treatment for melanoma skin cancer, however its purpose varies depending on how far the cancer has progressed. For later-stage melanoma skin cancer, surgery is used as a diagnostic tool to assess how far the cancer has spread. Patients may require more invasive surgery to remove lymph nodes. How can you prevent skin cancer? You can lower your risk of developing skin cancer by following some sun safety tips: Avoid exposing your skin to the sun, and don’t tan!Wear protective clothing like long sleeve shirts and wetsuits in the water.Wear sunscreen every day, even if it’s overcast. A broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays should be reapplied every 2 hours when your skin is exposed to sun. Avoid peak times of 12pm-2pm when the sun is at its highest, find a shady spot during this time. What skin cancer research has ACRF funded? In 2019 ACRF awarded $9.9M to the Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, to establish the Australian Centre of Excellence in Melanoma Imaging and Diagnosis (ACEMID). ACEMID aims to reduce the annual melanoma death toll by using sophisticated 3D imaging systems to produce whole-body scans that can be monitored over time. These scans create patient ‘avatars’, enabling melanoma to be detected earlier. In addition to the $10M of ACEMID funding, ACRF has funded $7.08M in brilliant skin cancer research in Australia and provided seed-funding of $5M to Westmead Institute for Cancer Research to construct 2 word-class melanoma research laboratories in 2011. New skin cancer research facilities and technology are innovating the way we prevent, detect and treat skin cancer. Your support is integral in bringing us closer to a world without cancer. The good news is, you can help back brilliant cancer research by donating today.
Australian melanoma rates improve Posted on April 13, 2016March 19, 2018 by Carly du Toit A study found that rates of invasive melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, have started to decline in Australia and are predicted to keep falling over the next 15 years. Researchers at QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute have found that Australia no longer has the highest per capita rates of invasive melanoma in the world, after being overtaken by New Zealand. Researchers compared the rates of melanoma in six populations over a 30-year period from 1982 to 2011. The six populations were Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, and the caucasian population of the United States. The researchers found that melanoma rates in Australia increased from about 30 cases per 100,000 people in 1982 and peaked at nearly 49 cases per 100,000 people in 2005. The rates then declined to about 48 cases per 100,000 people in 2011. Invasive melanoma rates in New Zealand reached about 50 cases per 100,000 people in 2011. Professor David Whiteman, who led the study, said Australia was the only one of the six populations where melanoma rates had begun to fall overall. “We think the main reason for this decline is that Australia has put a huge effort into primary prevention campaigns since the 1980s,” Professor Whiteman said. “Australians have become more ‘sun smart’ as they have become more aware of the dangers of melanoma and other skin cancers. Schools, workplaces and childcare centres have also introduced measures to decrease exposure to harmful UV radiation.” “This has contributed to a decline in melanoma rates in people under the age of about 50.” “Unfortunately, rates of melanoma are still increasing in people over the age of about 50. This is probably because many older people had already sustained sun damage before the prevention campaigns were introduced, and those melanomas are only appearing now, many decades after the cancer-causing exposure to sunlight occurred.” Despite the fall in average melanoma rates per 100,000 people, the overall number of invasive melanomas diagnosed in Australia is still rising and is expected to increase from 11,162 cases per year from 2007-2011, to 12,283 cases per year from 2012-2016. Professor Whiteman said this was due to the ageing of the Australian population, as well as overall population growth. “Melanomas occur most commonly in older people. As Australia’s population ages, the number of melanomas diagnosed will continue to increase,” he said. “The picture in Australia at the moment is mixed. While it’s good news that average melanoma rates have started to fall, the fact that the actual number of cases is still rising is bad news.” The Australian Cancer Research Foundation has supported cancer research at QMRI Berghofer by providing three grants, totalling AUD 6.65million towards cutting edge cancer research equipment and technology.
Non-invasive laser technology could help bypass the need for biopsies Posted on June 11, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Engineers and researchers from the University of Queensland have collaborated with the University of Leeds in England to create a new method of skin cancer detection that bypasses the need for biopsies. Lead researcher, Dr Yah Leng Lim, from The University of Queensland’s School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, is a key member of the team that developed the ground-breaking laser imaging system that safely provides a different view of skin structure. Continue reading “Non-invasive laser technology could help bypass the need for biopsies”
Starving cells could treat one of Australia’s deadliest diseases Posted on February 26, 2014February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit Australia has the highest rate of melanoma, globally. It is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and is the third most common cancer type in Australia. But Australian researchers at the Centenary Institute have bought hope to this statistic through the discovery that we could potentially treat, and even cure, melanoma by cutting off its food source. Last year the same team of researchers, led by Professor Jeff Holst, showed they could starve prostate cancer cells. This discovery has opened up the prospect of a class of drugs that could treat a range of cancers, including melanoma, in the same way. Continue reading “Starving cells could treat one of Australia’s deadliest diseases”
Advanced Melanoma – New treatment has the potential to double survival time Posted on February 28, 2012February 25, 2018 by Carly du Toit One of the first new melanoma treatments to be released in over a decade could double the average survival time for melanoma patients. The drug, Vemurafenib, was approved by regulators in the United States and Australia last year after studies showed that in a significant number of patients with advanced melanoma, the cancers either stopped growing or shrank after receiving the treatment. The latest research now shows that in many cases, treatment with Vemurafenib has doubled cancer patients’ survival period from 6-10 months to approximately 16 months. Continue reading “Advanced Melanoma – New treatment has the potential to double survival time”
