Blog 22: Answer 3

What is the best way to treat skin cancer?

Answer 3: Chemotherapy where the cancer cells are attacked by a drug that is either taken internally or applied on the skin.

Evidence:

• The drugs being used are specifically monitored and prepared to kill the cancerous cells in a patient.
• A drug called fluorouracil (5-FU) is used to treat basal cell and squamous cell cancers that are located only on the top layer of the skin.
• A drug called imiquimod is used to treat basal cell cancer that is located only in the top layer of skin.
• Two types of chemotherapy: Injection through the vein or topical cream (also a tablet).
• Only a few drugs (damouth regime) are for stage IV melanoma, usually chemo is for nonmelanoma.

Sources:

• Cancer of the Skin
• Julie Arroyo
• Daniel Rigel

Blog 19: Answer 2

What is the best way to treat skin cancer?

The term skin cancer refers to three different conditions:

• ·      Basal cell carcinoma (most common)
•     Squamous cell carcinoma
•     Melanoma (most serious because it spreads)

“To plan the best treatment for each patient, the doctor considers the location and size of the cancer, the risk of scarring, and the person's age, general health, and medical history.”

Answer 2: Scooping out the basal by using a curette (spoon like tool), then electric current to stop the bleeding and kill the rest of the cancer cells or Surgical excision (tumor is cut out) and stitched up

Evidence:

·      Basal cell carcinoma almost never spreads, but do grow and invade other tissue.  It is also the most common

·      Using curette is best for small cancers and for Basal and Squamous

·      Melanoma: After biopsy, the doctor may find

o   No need of treatment, just a mole

o   Atypical mole (take off a little bit of mole and surrounding skin to be safe)

o   Surgery (removing ½ inch of tissue around the Melanoma, unless if more severe, then may go deeper)

Sources:

Arroyo, Julie. Personal interview. 24 Feb. 2012.

Griffen, Daren.   Personal Interview.   13. February 2012

Rigel, Daniel S. Cancer of the Skin. Philadephia: Elsevier Saunders, 2005. Print.

Blog 13: Senior Project 2 hour House Meeting 1

What is the best way to treat skin cancer?

ANSWER:

Identify how the skin cancer formed

EVIDENCE

Overexposure to the sun or UV radiation

DNA damage

Over-producing cells

SOURCE

Schofield, Jill R., and William A. Robinson. What You Really Need to Know about Moles and Melanoma.

Blog 6 Define EQ

1. Essential Question: What is most important to being a successful radiation therapist?

2. Define 2 words:

• Successful-I need to talk to Carly's mom
• Radiation therapist-With other physicians and doctors specializing in radiation cancer treatment, radiation therapist provides radiation therapy to patients as prescribed by a radiologist to cancer patient, using a radiation machine to deliver the treatment. 

3. Possible Answers:

• Good communication
• Positive attitude
• Empathize with patients
• Background in different cancer
• Work well with other physicians

4. Most important source and why?
Daren Griffin was my most important source. I had interviewed her previously, and she gave me visuals (a folder of brochures for cancer patients) with a lot of useful info on the overview of radiation therapy. She was very helpful on what she recommends, school-wise and senior project.