SKIN CANCER INFORMATION

Skin cancer is by far the most common cancer in Australia and the one most people will develop in their lifetime. 81% of all cancers diagnosed per year are skin cancer.

It is important to get the right advice about your skin and to have a regular, at least yearly, skin check to rule out any skin caner. We recommend a skin check in your birthday months to help reminding you to have it done yearly. An earlier visit is needed if any new suspicious lesion is noticed on the skin.

The golden rule for any skin lesion that does not clear up is to get medical advice on it even if it has none of the clinical features of any skin cancer. Even Melanomas can have little or no pigment in them and can be mistaken for any other lesions. Make a booking at the clinic to have it checked by one of our doctors.

It is important to have your skin protected from the sun. This will limit the incidence of skin cancer but also help to preserve your skin and help you looking younger.

Types of skin cancer
Skin cancer can be divided into melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers, Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Each year, over 374,000 Australians are diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer and over 8,800 Australians are diagnosed with melanoma. Although the non-melanoma skin cancers (BCC and SCC) are the most common they are the least aggressive, but about 1% of them can spread in a way similar than melanoma. This is mostly the case if they occur on the lip and if they involve the nerve bundle and the vascular bundle. Early detection of any cancer will dramatically improve the survival rate of patients and it is important to seek medical help if any change in your skin is noticed. Most non-melanoma skin cancers will occur in older people and be more of a problem with appearance than be life threatening. But they still need to see a doctor to give them advice on treatment.

Melanoma is more common in younger people and mostly seen in the age group 15 to 45 years. It is the second most common cancer in this age group. This is the deadliest form of skin cancer and usually spreads rapidly to other parts of the body and cause Metastatic disease. Each year approximately 1400 people will die from Melanoma.

Cause of Skin cancer
Skin cancer is caused as a result of damage to the DNA of the skin cells by Ultraviolet radiation from the sun and also sun beds and solariums. This can be a result of exposure as a child. We cannot over emphasize the importance of Slip Slop Slap to all Australians.

The Ozone layer that protects the earth from 90% of the UV rays from the sun has been depleted and now more dangerous UV light reach earth is causing greater damage to Australians. It is a known fact that Australia is the skin cancer capitol of the world. Survival rates in Australia is much better than in other countries because we have a higher awareness and more willingness to have skin examinations than other counties where skin cancer is not so prominent. This is more reason to motivate every person who suspects a lesion to be changing to seek prompt medical attention.

Solariums
Many salons have solariums and make them available to clients for use. The truth is that solariums can emit levels of UV radiation up to five times as strong as the summer midday sun according to Standards Australia. A solarium causes a tan by concentrated exposure to high levels of UV light. It is known that all forms of UV light will cause skin cancer and cause premature aging of the skin. Don’t be misled by solarium manufacturers proposing shorter time exposure to be safe. It will still cause damage to the skin and cause cancer. I personally feel that the spray on tan is a safer option and that the use of UV light should be reserved for medical treatment of certain skin conditions only and not for tanning purposes.

What to look for:

· Any skin lesion, freckle or mole that is showing changes in colour, shape, thickness or becomes itchy over a few weeks. If the colour pattern changes it can be another sign that the lesion is having changes and needs medical attention.

Any crusty looking sore that is not healing.
Any pearly coloured lump or red lump or pale skin lesion.
Any new lesion that has just become visible
Remember that all skin types and colour is susceptible to skin cancer.
Any lesion not healing any where on the body but even more so in old scars and where previous skin cancers have been removed before.

My golden rule is that any skin lesions that are not healing in about 4 to 8 weeks need to be seen by a doctor. Doctors often remove lesions that are dry and flaky that have been present for many months and get the histology result back confirming SCC or even a melanoma. Not all melanomas will present typically as they are described in the textbooks.

Treatment modalities for skin cancers are constantly changing and currently surgery, Cryotherapy (freezing), Curettage, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) and topical creams are used to treat skin cancers. The type of cancer will determine the best way for treating and most doctors with a special interest in skin cancer will have most of these treatment options available.

Your doctor will discuss the best and most appropriate treatment options with you and in the process will take into account the type of cancer, depth of the cancer, size, position on the body and your age.

Remember Slip Slop Slap!

Skin Cancer Treatments

Cosmetic Elegance Clinic offers a range of treatment options to treat skin cancers.

For Superficial Skin cancers Freezing with Liquid Nitrogen (Cryotherapy) is san option but it is painful and can cause a blister and redness for about up to ten days after the treatment and can leave permanent pigment changes in the area treated and most commonly leave an area of hypo pigmentation.( Lighter skin where lesions was frozen.)

Photo dynamic treatment is another option and although it takes more time it still will leave changes on the area that is treated for up to two weeks but the chance of long term pigment changes is less. The cost of this treatment is much higher due to the high cost of Amino Levulenic Acid (ALA) Preparations Available to use.

METVIX PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY (METVIX PDT)

Metvix PDT is an effective treatment for some Non-melanoma Superficial Skin cancers as well as certain types of pre-cancerous lesions.

What is skin cancer?

80% of all cancers diagnosed each year skin cancer.

Skin cancer occurs when damaged skin cells are abnormally activated and divide out of control, causing a cancerous area to arise. The most common cause of skin cancer is exposure to sunlight and radiation. Risk of developing skin cancer depends on a number of factors including the amount of exposure to ultraviolet radiation, skin type, and other immunological and repair capabilities of the body. There are certain agents that have been found to cause skin cancer such as exposure to tar and tar products, exposure to X-rays and environmental exposure to arsenic.

Australia has the highest rate of skin cancers in the world, with the incidence being higher in Queensland than in any other state or territory.

Treatments of skin cancers will vary according to the type of skin cancer, the size, position and depth of the cancer. The doctor will discuss with you the most appropriate way to treat your skin cancer.

How does Metvix PDT work?

PDT (Photo Dynamic Therapy)

PDT uses laser, or other light sources, combined with a light-sensitive drug (photosensitising agent) to destroy cancer cells.

Metvix is a photosensitising agent is a drug that makes cells more sensitive to light. Once in the body, the drug is attracted to cancer cells. It does not do anything until it is exposed to a particular wavelength of light. When the light is directed at the area of the cancer, the drug is activated and the cancer cells are destroyed. Some healthy, normal cells in the body will also be affected by PDT, although these cells will usually heal after the treatment.

Metvix is a simple, non-invasive treatment that consists of the application of Metvix cream to the areas of skin that need to be treated, followed by exposure to a light source that can be a Laser IPL or the Aktilite lamp. The cells in the lesion will absorb the active ingredient from the Metvix cream.

Cells that are damaged or abnormal will absorb more of the active ingredient and will be more susceptible to treatment. When the cells are exposed to light from the Aktilite lamp, a chemical reaction occurs which destroys only the abnormal cells, minimizing side-effects and the potential for scarring.

How is the treatment done?

You will see the doctor twice on the day of treatment. You may need more that one session and they are usually done 4 to 6 weeks apart.

Stage 1
First you will have the area to be treated prepared and Metvix cream will be applied. All the scales and crust will first be removed. After the cream is applied it will be covered with a dressing and left for three hours. You may leave the clinic in this time but DO NOT REMOVE THE DRESSING. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight during this time to treated area.

Stage 2
After 3-6 hours the dressing will be removed, the area wiped clean and then exposed to the red light from either the Aktilite lamp or another light source like Laser or IPL for a period of 7 to 9 minutes for each area. As a safety precaution, you will be given goggles to wear during the illumination to protect your eyes from the intense light.

Is it painful?
Most patients experience a burning or stinging sensation during the illumination. Cooling the area treated during the light exposure will relive the pain or discomfort. If the treatment is too uncomfortable the light can be removed for a short period and then reapplied. Oral painkillers may be taken before and after the procedure.

Will it leave a scar?
Metvix cream selectively targets abnormal cells. This means that while the lesion is destroyed, the potential for scarring often associated with other treatment options is significantly diminished with Metvix PDT.

What should I expect after the treatment?
Local discomfort around the lesion site immediately after the treatment is the most common side effect with Metvix PDT. For a short period mild to moderate redness, swelling and inflammation are normal after-treatment responses, which usually resolve rapidly.

You may have a scab over the area treated for up to ten days.

Post-operative pain relief options include application of ice and/ or oral medications.

What are the Side-effects of Metvix PDT:

Redness and swelling are normal after-treatment responses which resolve within one week.

Pain is usually only experienced during the treatment. It is usually mild but can vary with intensity depending on the individual. If pain is experienced it is generally short-term lasting only for a few hours. Analgesia can be taken before the and after the treatment. Application of a Steroid Cream (at home) after treatment may Decrease the pain.

Ulceration and Crusting can last for a week to 10 days in some patients

Colour change after the areas treated have healed there maybe some redness or occasionally, brown post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation

Scarring is uncommon with Metvix PDT, however, it is possible.

Infection is possible with any skin procedure. Metvix PDT treatment seldom results in infection. Pustules/ pimples may develop occasionally and should be reported to the doctor so that the necessary treatments can be initiated in a timely manner.

All of the side effects above will be increased with post treatment exposure to direct sunlight for up to 48 hours after treatment