Jacquelyn H.
Topic: Skin Cancer
Essential Question: What is the best way to treat skin cancer?

Friday, April 13, 2012

Research Check 15


53. AV Chemotherapy Cancer Treatments and Side Effects

Expert: Dr. David Cathcart

  • Color of the skin can reflect the side effect
  • It can include deep sores, color changes, red flushed skin
  • Dr. Cathcart is an occupational medicine physician at the Heartland Regional in Missouri

53. AV Dr. Mejia discusses skin cancer treatments
  • Mohs is a surgerical procredure that helps you remove all the cancer cells and do less damage to the skin around it
  • Mohs is also a same day procedure
  • Dr. Mejia is also trained in plastic surgery techniques
  • Discussing other options other than surgery, such as radiation therapy or a combination of treatments
  • Radiation therapy (hospital), Scrape it and burn it approach, cutting it out, liquid nitrogen (for pre-cancer)
  • Mohs is the balance or the best approach
  • It is named after Frederick Mohs.  It is the removal of the skin cancer, examining the margins to make sure all the cancer is out. 
  • .Discusses the 3 types of skin cancer, noting what I already know which is melanoma is the most dangerous one

53.  AV Dr. Meija does a follow up with a patient
  • Dr. Meija removed the basal skin cancer. It was basal. It was on his head and 3-4 inches wide. 
  • Dr. Meija had to do a plastic surgery after removing the skin cancer, but he was able to repair the scar.
  • Skin cancers can do some serious damage to the skin around it also.

53. AV Treating Melanom
  • 60,000 new cases every year
  • People identified early can be helped
  • There are 4 stages of melanoma
  • Stage 1 and 2 is it hasn’t spread yet
  • Stage 3 is when it has spread to the tumor
  • Stage 4 is when it has spread past the tumor to your brain or other significant parts
  • Excision is always the first step, but Stage 3 and 4 is to follow up with additional therapies.  Immunotherapy or radiation therapy is used as follow up after excision.  Radiation therapy is only used for Stage 4 or people who can’t be helped by surgery.  Chemotherapy is also used after excision if follow up is needed. 

53. AV Photodynamic Therapy
  • No needles, just cream for this treatment
  • The cream creates a toxin to kill the skin cancer cells
  • The device has a UVC light that activates the cream and converts the chemical in the cream into a toxin in about 3 hours
  • It kills the cancer cell and does not damage the skin around it
  • They are working on making the Photodynamic machine smaller so patients can take home the treatment

54. AV  Skin Cancer Surgery
  • Cancer is located on his chest
  • Inject a needle of something around the skin cancer, probably to numb the pain
  • Cutting around the cancer, where the surgeon was injecting the pain killer
  • Then cutting out the skin cancer cell
  • An assistant immediately puts a cloth on the area to stop the bleeding
  • The surgeon then continues to cut to make sure they got all the cancer cell out
  • It looks like the final step is to stitch up the wounded area

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