malignant melanoma It is the most serious form of skin cancer, most commonly affecting the trunk, arms, head, neck and legs. But it can actually happen anywhere on the skin. At the same time, it is cancer that is growing the most – and as a result of burning yourself in the sun several times.
to me Melanoma Society About 4,600 people develop malignant melanoma in Sweden. Men and women are affected roughly the same way. However, it is rare for children to get sick. on the site www.all-trialom.se There is more information about skin cancer.
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Malignant melanoma: “Once they start to grow…”
– The issues are becoming more and more. Even at younger ages. So this is a real problem. Dull people, those who turn red as soon as they are out in the sun, should be very careful. Care should also be taken to protect children so that they are not exposed to too much sunlight, says Joasim Stallfors, chief medical officer and chief medical officer of Doctor 24.
What kind of skin changes should you be aware of?
Be aware if the skin spot becomes larger, darker, raised, and has an irregular shape. Many people have round birthmarks, we’re not too concerned about these, but as soon as they start growing, rising above the surface of the skin, or getting an uneven figure at the edges, you should check them out immediately, says Joacim Stalfors.
Joachim Stallfors is Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director at Doktor24.
Photo: DOKTOR24
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Pictures of malignant skin changes and harmless pigment spots
A birthmark that suddenly becomes painful, begins to grow, itch or assumes a darker color can also be a warning signal. Then you should contact your doctor as soon as possible. Although malignant melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, most people recover from it if detected early.
– That’s why it’s important to check your brands if you’re not sure, assures Joacim Stalfors – and continues:
– When the health service receives a referral, they are obliged to work within a certain time frame, so as not to waste time. This is what we call the standardized care process. A lot can be remedied with a simple operation if you come early. That’s why we want to implant in people: Have a point, where you feel it could be something: Go and check it out instead of waiting. In this case, spring comes control point in the picture. If you are concerned about a birthmark, you can easily examine it with a camera that uses polarized light.
If the doctor assesses that the birthmark looks suspicious, the patient is sent to a skin clinic, which decides on the best treatment.
– Then it’s almost always the case that you’re trying to cut everything out. It is a simple procedure. In the past, being diagnosed with cancer was a huge stigma, which it is not today. Cancer care in Sweden has developed safe methods so that if you arrive on time, you can cure many types of cancer.
Below you will find a slideshow that helps you distinguish between harmless spots and malignant skin changes
How to protect yourself from UV rays
The best way to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UV rays is to use a cream with an SPF. Preferably all year round. The packaging must be marked with a special UVA symbol.
An SPF of at least 30 for the body and 50 for the face is recommended by a dermatologist, according to the magazine. plain greenscale.
Photo: Swedish Radiation Safety Authority
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The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority has also created a web service minsulted, where you can make estimates for how long you can stay in the sun without getting burned. Here you must fill in your information – including determining your skin type and sun sensitivity – the recommended sun time is calculated.
Thor Bleeker, MD, a dermatologist at Lidköping, is one of the initiators behind the Find Skin Cancer campaign.
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Thor Blaker: ‘We think we did a good job’
Many areas are needed to consult a dermatologist. With the “Scan for Skin Cancer” campaign, you can get suspicious skin changes checked by a dermatologist without having to be referred from your health center.
Thor Bleeker, a dermatologist in Lidköping, is one of the initiators behind “Looking for Skin Cancer” — a campaign Expressen previously wrote about.
New figures from last year’s campaign, which Expressen is the first of its kind, show that several skin tumors have been detected:
We found 32 malignant melanomas last year. Thor Bleecker says, “I think we put in a good effort and saved many lives.”
21 dermatology clinics – one audience only – participated in last year’s campaign. They received a total of 1,890 visits. In addition to malignant melanoma, a very large number of other types of skin tumors have been detected, which are not considered as dangerous as malignant melanoma.
Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma
It can be squamous cell carcinoma, which can be invasive and in rare cases fatal, if it is not found and treated.
They also discovered several cases of basal cell carcinoma, the most common type of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is never life threatening, but it can grow and destroy surrounding tissues, such as the tip of the nose or grow into the eye socket.
It must be removed, there are cases where basal cell carcinoma has grown into the kidney, says Thor Blecker.
A patient came to Thor Bleeker after hearing him talk about the “Find Skin Cancer” campaign on the radio. The man had a malignant melanoma, the size of a penny, on his back and underwent surgery.
– Then he came and said “You saved my life”. Then you feel that what you do matters, says Thor Bleecker.
Here are 6 tips for sun protection
Many people do not think about whether there were any spots on the skin from the start or if their appearance and appearance changed. The best way to detect skin changes is to check your skin regularly, says Joacim Stalfors, chief medical officer at Doktor24.
‘We think it’s important’
This year, the campaign will run from September 5 to 11. At the end of August, you can book an appointment via the website hittahudcancer.se.
Pharmaceutical companies sponsor the marketing and an office company donates the screening devices and dermatoscopes. But the dermatologists themselves don’t charge for their time.
– We do this not-for-profit, because we think it’s important. The campaigns have two purposes — partly to inform the public about the importance of examining the skin and learning to recognize suspicious changes and partly because we know the campaign saves lives, says Thor Blecker.
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5 steps – then check your score
Examine the front and back of the body in front of a mirror.
Bend your elbows, and look closely at your forearms and the backs of your arms and palms.
Look at the feet, the spaces between the toes and the soles of the feet.
Examine the neck and scalp with a hand mirror.
Check the back and buttocks (also easier with a hand mirror in front of a larger mirror).
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