Table of Contents
Page 3- Definition
Page 4- Signs and Symptoms
Page 5- Treating/Managing the Problem
Page 6- Treating/Managing the Problem
Page 7- Treating/Managing the Problem
Page 8- Treating/Managing the Problem
Page 9- Treating/Managing the Problem
Page 10- What I Learned
Page 11- Resources
Definition
a. Identify/define topic:
 Uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells on the skin
b. History/origin of item:
 Ancient Egyptians were aware 4000 years ago
 Greeks were first to try and uncover the cause for skin cancer
 In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, oncology and
advances in technology allowed people to discover the three
kinds of skin cancer
Signs and Symptoms
a. Specific examples:
 For Basal cell carcinoma : White pearly, waxy bump or a flat fleshcolored or brown scar-like lesion
 Squamous cell Carcinoma- a firm red nodule or a flat lesions with a
scaly crusty surface
 Melanoma: large brownish spot with darker spots, a mole that
changes color, size or feel, or that bleeds.
b. How long they should last before concern: When skin changes. Do
not wait; see a doctor as soon as possible
c. Genetic, hereditary or environmental factors:
Environmental factors: the sun, exposure to asbestos, benzene
Genetic Hereditary Factors: if one or both of your parents have
had a skin cancer, you could be at risk, especially as you are likely
to have the same skin type as them
Treating/Managing the Problem
a. Treatment:
 Chemotherapy- the main treatment and therapy for in general
cancer but can be used for specifically skin cancer
 Radiation therapy- Shrinks tumors, and eliminates some
symptoms (cancer-related) by using energy to kill cancer cells
targeted on your body.
 Surgery- Gets rid of symptoms like tumors, pain, etc. (oldest
form of cancer treatment)
b. Role of Diet:
 Eat healthy and have a lot of antioxidants. Damaged free
radicals can cause cancer and antioxidants can protect cells
from free radicals. (blueberries, coffee, tea, pomegranates)
Treating/Managing the Problem
Continued…
c. Role of Exercise:
 Talk to your health care providers; you may not want to
exercise because of side effects of chemo
d. Role of Medicine:
 it is to help relieve you of your symptoms and helps
destroy cancer cells
e. Role of Family Support Given:
•get them to get therapy and
treatment at a hospital and supporting
Treating/Managing the Problem
Continued…
f. Management of problem short-term:
 staying out of sun for a little bit
 removal of cancer
 radiation/ chemo (could be long-term)
g. Management of problem long-term:
 staying out of the sun
 eating antioxidants (things that have it are: spinach,
blueberries, tea, garlic, coffee, pomegranates)
Treating/Managing the Problem
Continued…
h. Impact on the individual and family:
 Can’t travel far away from doctor
 Need extra support and attention
 both individual and family depression
i. Impact on the family:
 Costly treatments, and individual
probably won’t be working so they
might have financial problems
Treating/Managing the Problem
(j. Statistics integrated into the data)
 In 2007 58,094 people in the United States were diagnosed
with melanomas of the skin (33,041 men and 25,053 women)
 More than 1 million cases diagnosed annually
 40% to 50% of 65 year olds will have skin cancer at least
once.
What I Learned
 Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the
United States. More than 3.5 million skin cancers in over
two million people are diagnosed annually
 Over the past 31 years, more people have had skin
cancer than all other cancers combined
 One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the
course of a lifetime
 The vast majority of mutations found in melanoma are
caused by ultraviolet radiation
 Survival with melanoma: 49% (1950–1954) 92% (1996–
2003)
Resources
o http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skincancer/DS00190/DSECTION=symptoms
o http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/skincancer/DS00190/DSECTION=causes
o http://cancer.about.com/od/causes/a/causesrisks.htm
o http://www.skincancerresource.com/a-short-history-of-skincancer.html
o http://www.cancercenter.com/search.cfm?q=skin+cancer
o http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/prevention/antio
xidants
o http://www.skincancer.org/Skin-Cancer-Facts/#general
o Glencoe Health textbook, Mary H. Bronson, PhD, pages 696-697