As a White skin cancer, you referred to the two most common forms of skin cancer – basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma diseases. White skin cancer are diagnosed in the early stages, it can usually be treated well.
The designation of White or light skin cancer indicates that these cancers stand out differently than the typical dark spots in Black skin cancer from that of normal skin tone.
Symptoms of White skin cancer
The basal cell carcinoma (basal cell carcinoma) is most commonly used by pale yellow-reddish, shiny nodules, and more rarely also red spots or scar-like skin changes. In the advanced stage, this can not bleeding, oozing, and/or easy, painful but they are not.
The squamous cell carcinoma (also: Spinaliom, spinozelluläres carcinoma), however, can be applied to the surface of the skin as a wart, or reddish ulcer to appear.
To best illustrate the diversity of form of the White skin cancer images. A reliable diagnosis can, however, only a qualified doctor:
From the age of 35. Year to offer health insurance, two annual skin cancer Screenings, which can carry out any skin doctor (dermatologist) or General practitioner with appropriate certification. The skin cancer Screening of the body is investigated surface systematically with the help of a bright lamp (small co-payment, even under the light microscope). The view is of diagnostic concern, is taken from a small tissue sample. This is histologically examined and appropriate further treatment can be initiated.
To The Person
Henning Freiherr von Gregory is a plastic surgeon. He is the owner of a private practice for plastic, aesthetic and reconstructive nasal and facial surgery in Berlin.
How is White skin cancer?
White skin cancer is caused by a pathological change in the genetic material (DNA) of the cells in the top layer of skin. Which triggered the uncontrolled cell proliferation results in White skin cancer in the early stages to the formation of gray-white thickening of the ulcer with as the disease progresses.
Excessive UV radiation is the most common trigger for such genetic changes, in particular when the skin repeatedly due to sunburn damage. People with particularly fair skin predisposition are caused by susceptible.
In addition, there are a number of carcinogenic substances (arsenic, antibiotics from the group of Fluorchinole), with the emergence of White skin cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma can also develop from chronic skin irritations, burns, scars and other skin diseases.
In Germany are diagnosed annually, approximately 180,000 peoplen of White skin cancer, a gender difference there is not. Affected are mainly the elderly, in recent years, however, increasingly younger people.
Where does White skin cancer is the most common?
Most often affects the White skin cancer of the face and neck, since these areas every time you stay in the Free of the burden due to UV radiation. Especially the so-called sun terraces are affected, i.e. areas a 90-degree angle to the sunlight to take and therefore often get sunburn skin. The Hotspots for White skin cancer-therefore, especially the nose, ears, upper lip, eyebrows and, if necessary, the uncovered scalp (bald head).
In the case of people who are much in the open air, can also, depending on the style of dress, the upper part of the fuselage, ESP. The neck, shoulders and chest to be affected.
Squamous cell carcinomas can also not only on the outer skin, but also on highly stressed mucous membranes, for example. in the mouth, throat and esophagus, Vagina, and cervix and in the anal area.
How dangerous is melanoma, or skin cancer?
Both basal cell carcinomas as well as squamous cell carcinomas of the skin to deeper tissue layers to spread, where the cartilage and bone, destroy.
Distant metastases, i.e., metastases to other organs, are formed very rarely, When basal cell carcinoma is it only in 0.03% of cases, there is a dispersion. When Spinaliom, however, is the dispersion of risk, five percent is noticeably higher. Therefore, it should be always carried out, a tumor staging by means of ultrasound, possible metastases, in particular in the surrounding lymph nodes to exclude.
Most of the time, basal cell carcinomas remain local limited; there are only a few cases in which other organs are severely affected. They are therefore considered to be benign, i.e., half-malicious.
Unlike the dreaded Black skin cancer (malignant melanoma), it is very rare that the White skin cancer is fatal .
Treatment options: SURGICAL, non-surgical removal and drug therapy
If in the view diagnostic broad suspicion that White skin is confirmed cancer, sample tissue (biopsy), will advise of the dermatologist (specialist) for the early removal of the cancer. The goal is the spread and possibly also metastasis tie as quickly as possible.
Which treatment is chosen depends on the type, size and location of the cancer, as well as, if applicable, the number of carcinomas. To take into account as well is the General condition of the patient.
Surgical removal: The most common is the cancer through a surgical procedure. The OP may be on an outpatient basis and under local anesthesia. In this case, the pathologically altered tissue, including a safety cut distance out – of- the Spinaliom a little larger than the basal cell carcinoma. The tissue margin is examined microscopically fine geweblich, if necessary, and thus the complete removal of the cancer to ensure recutting. If the White of the skin cancer is removed in the face, is not only the technical but also the aesthetic sense of the surgeon asked to have an aesthetically pleasing result.
A lesion is very small, it is sufficient a single operation, i.e. in an Operation, the Tumor is removed and the Defect closed. In the case of larger tumors, the gold Standard is just in the face, to remove the Tumor in one day and the cover only after complete processing of the cut edges, and thus with the highest level of safety for a complete removal. This procedure is mandatory, e.g. in the nose, as even a very small Defect can lead to distortions. For the physician this means a considerable additional expense, which is why not every doctor is willing to bear the added expense and urges unilateral interventions.
Non-surgical procedures: Outside of the face are also non-surgical procedures used, the tissue is not cut out, but also destroy. For this purpose, laser treatment (evaporation by high-frequency light), photodynamic therapy (a combination of an ointment, the increased sensitivity to light, and infrared radiation) and radiation therapy, curettage (scraping) and cryosurgery (freezing the tissue with liquid nitrogen). A disadvantage of this method is that no examination of the removed tissue is possible; in addition, a higher risk of relapse (recurrence).
Under certain conditions, is also a local treatment with special ointments . As active ingredients Imiquimod, stimulates the body’s immune response and the regression of the cancer, accelerated. Alternatively, use a cream with the active substance 5 can inhibit-Fluorouracil on the proliferation of the cancer cells.
Are a great many basal cell carcinomas exist and these are not interoperable, so is also a drug therapy is possible. These so-called Hedgehog inhibitors inhibit the growth of cancer cells, however, have a number of side effects, so their use should be carefully weighed, and are currently considered experimental.