 |
[Home] | [Search] | [Medical Q&A Forums] | [Patient Network] |
This information has been brought to you by
Med Help International,
licenced by the National Cancer Institute as a distributor of CancerNet.
CancerMail from the National Cancer Institute
Information from PDQ for Patients
Screening for skin cancer
208/04724
** OVERVIEW OF SCREENING **
-- What is screening? --
Screening for cancer is examination (or testing) of people for early stages in
the development of cancer even though they have no symptoms. Scientists have
studied patterns of cancer in the population to learn which people are more
likely to get certain types of cancer. They have also studied what things
around us and what things we do in our lives may cause cancer. This
information sometimes helps doctors recommend who should be screened for
certain types of cancer, what types of screening tests people should have, and
how often these tests should be done. Not all screening tests are helpful, and
most have risks such as scar or infection after a biopsy for a suspicious skin
nodule or mole. For this reason, scientists at the National Cancer Institute
are studying many screening tests to find out how useful they are and to
determine the relative benefits and harms.
If your doctor suggests certain cancer screening tests as part of your health
care plan, this does not mean he or she thinks you have cancer. Screening
tests are done when you have no symptoms. Since decisions about screening can
be difficult, you may want to discuss them with your doctor and ask questions
about the potential benefits and risks of screening tests and whether they have
been proven to decrease the risk of dying from cancer.
If your doctor suspects that you may have cancer, he or she will order certain
tests to see whether you do. These are called diagnostic tests. Some tests
are used for diagnostic purposes, but are not suitable for screening people who
have no symptoms.
-- Purposes of this summary --
The purposes of this summary on skin cancer screening are to:
- give information on skin cancer and what makes it more likely to occur (risk
factors)
- describe skin cancer screening methods and what is known about their
effectiveness
You can talk to your doctor or health care professional about cancer screening
and whether it would be likely to help you.
** SKIN CANCER **
The skin is the body's outermost covering and offers protection from heat and
light, injury, and infection. It also helps regulate body temperature and
stores water, fat, and vitamin D. The skin is made up of two main layers: the
outer epidermis and the inner dermis.
There are 3 main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell
carcinoma (which are referred to as nonmelanoma skin cancer) and melanoma.
Melanoma is the rarest and most serious form of the disease. The epidermis is
made up of squamous cells, basal cells, and melanocytes. Melanocytes are the
cells from which melanoma begins to develop.
-- Risk of skin cancer --
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.
Anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease is called a
risk factor. Some of these risk factors for skin cancer are as follows:
Race - Skin cancer is most common among fair-skinned individuals who sunburn or
freckle easily.
Sex - Rates of skin cancer deaths in white males have increased in recent
years, possibly as a result of the increase in outdoor recreation activities.
Age - Rates of melanoma rise rapidly in Caucasians older than 20 years.
Individual History - Persons with certain types of moles or those with a family
history of dysplastic nevus syndrome are at a higher risk for developing
melanoma. Patients who have had nonmelanoma skin cancer are at a higher risk
for developing the disease again. Individuals who are exposed to the sun,
x-rays, or ultraviolet light for long periods of time have a greater risk.
-- Screening for skin cancer --
Routine examination of the skin increases the chance of finding skin cancer
early. Most melanomas that appear in the skin can be seen by the naked eye.
Usually, there is a lengthy period when the tumor expands beneath the top layer
of skin but does not invade the deeper skin layers. This period allows for
early detection and full recovery if the tumor is discovered before spreading
deeper.
** TO LEARN MORE **
Call
For more information, U.S. residents may call the Cancer Information Service
toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237) Monday through Friday from 9:00
a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Deaf and hard-of-hearing callers with TTY equipment may call
1-800-332-8615. The call is free and a trained Cancer Information Specialist
is available to answer your questions.
Publications
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has booklets and other materials for
patients, health professionals, and the public. These publications discuss
types of cancer, methods of cancer treatment, coping with cancer, and clinical
trials. Some publications provide information on tests for cancer, cancer
causes and prevention, cancer statistics, and NCI research activities. NCI
materials on these and other topics may be ordered online or printed directly
from the NCI Publications Locator. These materials can also be ordered by
telephone from the Cancer Information Service toll-free at 1-800-4-CANCER
(1-800-422-6237), TTY at 1-800-332-8615.
LiveHelp
The NCI's LiveHelp (http://cancer.gov/livehelp/vp/vp_sq.html) service, a
program available on several of the Institute's Web sites, provides Internet
users with the ability to chat online with an Information Specialist. The
service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through
Friday. Information Specialists can help Internet users find information on
NCI Web sites and answer questions about cancer.
Organizations and Web sites
There are many other places where people can get materials and information
about cancer treatment and services. Local hospitals may have information on
local and regional agencies that offer information about finances, getting to
and from treatment, receiving care at home, and dealing with problems
associated with cancer treatment. A list of organizations and Web sites that
offer information and services for cancer patients and their families is
available on cancer.gov (http://cancer.gov/support_resources.html).
Write
For more information from the NCI, please write to this address:
National Cancer Institute
Office of Communications
31 Center Drive, MSC 2580
Bethesda, MD 20892-2580
** OVERVIEW OF PDQ **
PDQ is a comprehensive cancer database available on cancer.gov.
PDQ is the National Cancer Institute's (NCI's) comprehensive cancer information
database. Most of the information contained in PDQ is available on cancer.gov,
the NCI's Web site. PDQ is provided as a service of the NCI. The NCI is part
of the National Institutes of Health, the federal government's focal point for
biomedical research.
PDQ contains cancer information summaries.
The PDQ database contains summaries of the latest published information on
cancer prevention, detection, genetics, treatment, supportive care, and
complementary and alternative medicine. Most summaries are available in two
versions. The health professional versions provide detailed information
written in technical language. The patient versions are written in
easy-to-understand, non-technical language. Both versions provide current and
accurate cancer information.
The PDQ cancer information summaries are developed by cancer experts and
reviewed regularly.
Editorial Boards made up of experts in oncology and related specialties are
responsible for writing and maintaining the cancer information summaries. The
summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made as new information
becomes available. The date at the top of each summary ("Date Last Modified")
indicates the time of the most recent change.
PDQ also contains information on clinical trials.
People who are at high risk for a certain type of cancer may want to take part
in a clinical trial. A clinical trial is a study to answer a scientific
question, such as whether a method of finding cancer earlier can help people to
live longer. Trials are based on past studies and what has been learned in the
laboratory. Each trial answers certain scientific questions in order to find
new and better ways to help cancer patients and those who are at risk for
cancer. During screening clinical trials, information is collected about
screening methods, the risks involved, and how well they do or do not work. If
a clinical trial shows that a new method is better than one currently being
used, the new method may become "standard."
Listings of clinical trials are included in PDQ and are available at
http://cancer.gov/search/clinical_trials. Descriptions of the trials are
available in health professional and patient versions. Many cancer doctors who
take part in clinical trials are also listed in PDQ. For more information,
call the Cancer Information Service 1-800-4-CANCER (1-800-422-6237); TTY at
1-800-332-8615.
Date Last Modified: 02/2002
******************************************************************************
* If you want to know more about cancer and how it is treated, or if you *
* if you wish to know about clinical trials for your type of cancer, you *
* can call the NCI's Cancer Information Service at 1-800-422-6237, toll *
* free. A trained information specialist can talk with you and answer *
* your questions. *
******************************************************************************
|
[Home] | [Search] | [Medical Q&A Forums] | [Patient Network] |
This information has been brought to you by
Med Help International,
licenced by the National Cancer Institute as a distributor of CancerNet.