The fashion for sunbathing does not go away. Unfortunately, the sun is no joke - the number of skin cancer cases is rising rapidly. It is one of the most malignant skin cancers that grows rapidly and metastasizes many times. Can you avoid melanoma without giving up the pleasure of sunbathing?

Dermatologists believe that safesunbathingdoes not exist at all. A tan is nothing more than a protective reaction to ultraviolet radiation. Under the influence ofsun , the stratum corneum of the epidermis thickens and changes its color, as the production of a pigment called melanin increases. In this way, the skin protects itself against burns. As a result, various changes appear on the skin. Most of them are harmless, but there are some that can develop one of the most malignant cancers -melanoma .

The effects of tanning - discoloration, stains, freckles

People with a low amount of melanin (fair skin, blond or red hair, blue eyes) and the elderly are most exposed to the formation and intensification of skin lesions under the influence of the sun. The most common of these changes are:

  • freckles - small brown spots on exposed parts of the skin; they are inborn and hereditary, they are more visible after sun exposure; the treatment is only local (use exfoliating and discoloring ointments, but be careful, because sometimes they cause uneven discoloration!)
  • chloasma - patchy discoloration within the skin of the face, mainly in pregnant women, with menstrual disorders and other hormonal disorders (thyroid, adrenal glands), which may increase after sun exposure; they resolve spontaneously or after the underlying disease is cured; you can try to use discoloration ointments as in the treatment of freckles
  • skin pigmentation disorders (discoloration and discoloration) after sunburn usually disappear after a few months, but sometimes the changes are permanent.

Note! Sunburn clearly increases the risk of skin cancer. Doctors have calculated that after three burns in childhood, the risk of developing skin cancer (mainly melanoma) in the future increases fourfold.

How to recognize melanoma?

Birthmarks don't like the sun

The real danger lies inhowever, with birthmarks. These are congenital skin developmental abnormalities. Birthmarks can emerge from the epidermis (e.g., seborrheic warts), blood and lymph vessels (flat or convex, usually bluish red) and finally from skin pigment cells - melanocytes (pigmented nevi). The latter are mottled or slightly convex lesions of brown color, smooth or slightly uneven surface, sometimes hairy. When exposed to the sun or mechanically irritated (e.g. rubbing with clothing, lubricating the body, sand on the beach, injuries from sports), they can become malignant and develop into melanoma. It is one of the most aggressive skin cancers. But even he, if detected early, has a good chance of a full recovery.

According to an expertGrzegorz Luboiński, oncologist

Every patient who comes to the doctor should be carefully examined. The best solution would be to see an oncologist for a check-up once a year. And it's probably worth doing before the holiday season starts, between March and May. Without seeing the change and its location, it is impossible to determine the conditions under which this change can certainly be left alone. It is certain, however, that there is no such lesion that would be dangerous to remove or risk anything more than leaving a scar. Full prophylaxis consists in removing each lesion (birthmark, warts, moles, etc.) from chronically irritated areas. The hands, feet, the waist area, groin area, mucous membranes, as well as the area of ​​the genitals and anus are considered such places. It is best to remove skin lesions in the fall and winter period. Then there are the best conditions for healing - the skin does not sweat, it can be covered against dust. Therefore, I would recommend an annual spring check-up with an oncologist who will not only examine and assess the changes in the skin, but also help us in the wider oncological prophylaxis. Of course, it sometimes happens that changes irritated in summer (sun, water, sand) may cause anxiety after the holiday. Then I advise you not to delay and go to the oncologist surgeon (without a referral). This could save our lives, because melanoma requires urgent surgical treatment.

Czerniak in four varieties

  1. Melanoma that develops from flat, hairless moles. It occurs most often in middle-aged women. It is an unevenly discolored spot with irregular, small protrusions with uneven outlines. The development of the neoplasm is slow, it may take up to several years. It affects both the protected and unprotected areas of the body.
  2. Melanomas that come out of lentil spots, relatively mild, developing for many years, mainly inelderly people. The starting point are flat spots of coffee and milk color, with irregular outlines and uneven distribution of the dye, a dozen or so to several dozen millimeters in diameter, mainly on the face and in exposed places. The first symptom of malignancy is the formation of palpable nodules.
  3. Nodular melanoma is a discolored, rapidly growing lump that ulcerates. It mainly develops on the head, back and neck. It is more common in men. It metastases quite quickly. The 5-year survival period (despite treatment) is approximately 30%.
  4. Dye-free melanoma is - fortunately - a very rare variety. Cancer cells are so malignant that they cannot make the pigment melanin.

Skin protection and observation, then skin tests

In young people, melanoma most often appears on the chest (especially in men) or on the lower legs (in women). In the elderly, cancer likes the face. However, that doesn't mean it can't develop elsewhere in the body. So you need not only to protect the skin (especially carefully the moles) with sunscreen, but also to carefully observe it.

Melanoma - symptoms

  • appearance of a red inflammatory border;
  • enlargement of the birthmark and oozing ulcers within it;
  • papillary (progressive!) Surface hyperplasia;
  • itchy skin near the birthmark.

Melanomas require very intensive treatment - surgery and chemotherapy. Usually, prophylactic irradiation is recommended first, then the lesion is removed with a minimum 1cm margin of he althy tissue, and then chemotherapy is performed. There are also (with quite good results) attempts to use specific vaccines.

You must do it

  • Use sunscreen - each time you leave the water, wipe your body with a towel or assume every two hours. Remember that mixing different filters doesn't add up - filter10 plus15 is not 25, but still only 15! The filter numbers should be the higher the less pigment in the skin.
  • Gradually accustom your skin to the sun - start sunbathing 15-20 minutes a day. Avoid being in the sun when it is most exposed to the sun (11am to 3pm).
  • Remember that the sun's rays pass through a thin material. So wear loose-fitting clothes made of natural fibers with a dense weave, especially if you go on a longer trip.
  • Never fall asleep when you sunbathe - it's almost a burn!
  • After sunbathing, lubricate the body with a balm or cream - this will soothe and moisturize the skin, and at the same time extend its durabilitytan.
  • Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. They are rich in antioxidants (vitamins C, E, beta-carotene) that minimize the effects of the harmful effects of sunlight.

    • monthly "Zdrowie"

    Category:

    Oncology