Skin Cancer Expert Orange CA
An Actinic Keratosis Treatment
If you notice an abnormal growth on your Skin Cancer Expert Orange CA, it's always advisable to get it checked out by an expert. Often times, it could prove to actually be a harmless, non-cancerous growth. But it's important to use the correct skin cancer diagnosis system to ensure complete success.
That's where knowing what to look for when seeking a doctor can make all the difference in the world. One of the first things that a skin cancer expert will do is perform a biopsy. The goal here is to determine if the growth is benign or malignant. This is typically determined through a process called biopsy, where a small amount of tissue is taken and sent off to the lab. There, microscopic examination of the tissue will reveal any abnormalities.
If a malignancy exists, cancer cells will be identified and tested through a variety of methods, including a CT scan and/or a biopsy. Another common procedure for a skin cancer expert is a chemical peel, which is used to remove the top layers of skin. The excess skin is then removed along with the dead cells. This provides a much clean, fresh appearance. While this method typically removes superficial layers of skin, a proper skin cancer detection system will identify if the top layer is truly cancerous or not.
A thorough skin cancer expert will also conduct a series of tests to determine if melanoma (the most common type) or basal cell carcinoma (also known as skin cancer) is present. Usually, these tests come in the form of skin biopsies. With a biopsy, the skin cancers are seen. Skin cancer symptoms may not include a lump or tumor. They usually do not, although it's possible to miss the telltale signs of these conditions when they are superficial.
A thorough skin cancers examination will also involve looking at changes in the patient's vital signs. These could include a decrease in blood pressure and heart rate. Temperature and skin cells count will also be checked. It is important for medical professionals to look for evidence of cancer in these areas as a sign of growing potential. Sometimes, exposure to sunlight can make skin cells grow at an accelerated rate; therefore, these areas could be at risk.
People who have a family history of squamous cell carcinoma are at a higher risk for developing this condition after prolonged sun exposure. The most important step that a medical professional can take is to find out if he or she has any of the above mentioned signs. They then need to check for evidence of skin cancers using various tools and techniques. As mentioned above, actinic keratosis is one of the pre-cancers. This is characterized by small, flat lesions that form on the surface of the skin, often starting in the corner of the mouth. They can become bumpy and extend upwards towards the surrounding tissues.
They can also become somewhat dark in color. Broad band radiation is sometimes used in actinic keratosis treatment. This method works by exposing the affected areas with high energy radiation. This destroys the cancerous cells in the treated area, while healthy tissue is left untouched. In addition to actinic keratosis, there are several other pre-cancer conditions that can be treated using high-energy rays. These include basal cell cancer and squamous cell carcinoma. All three of these require the use of UV radiation.
Treatment of any type of skin cancers with ultraviolet rays relies on the theory that the body's normal self-defense mechanism tries to burn off these troublesome skin cells before the damage reaches too much and spreads. The theory says that the cells that become affected are so hard to destroy because they are like seeds that need water in order to germinate.
With ultraviolet radiation, the water in these seeds is destroyed, making them less likely to germinate. Thus, the skin cancers in question are less likely to spread. While this may seem like a very simple solution, the medical community has been slow to adopt this approach due to the difficulty of successfully using ultraviolet rays to kill malignant cells.
