What is Skin cancer?

It appears when skin cells are damaged mainly by ultraviolet rays from sunlight or tanning beds, causing these cells to produce malignant tumors.

Types of skin cancer

Basal-cell carcinoma: it is the most frequent and appears in areas of the body exposed to the sun.
Squamous-cell carcinoma: it is the second most common. It looks like a crusty wound with raised edges that bleed easily. It can appear anywhere on the body, although it usually does so in areas exposed to the sun.
Melanoma: this is less common than the others, but it is more aggressive, so it is likely to invade surrounding healthy tissue and spread to other parts of the body.

Signs and symptoms Skin cancer

This type of skin cancer appears due to sun exposure in uncovered areas of the body such as the face, ears, neck, upper or lower limbs; although it is also possible that it occurs in areas with little sun exposure such as the genitals, feet, and palms of the hands.

It affects people of all races and skin tones, including those with dark skin, but it is more common in white skin.

Basal-cell carcinoma:
- A pearly bump, a flat brown sore, or a crusty sore that bleeds easily.
Squamous-cell carcinoma:
- A hard, red pimple, a flat, scaly, crusty wound.
Melanoma:
- A brown stained area, a kind of mole that changes its color and volume, or a wound that hurts and causes burning.

See your ABC dermatologist if you notice similar skin changes.

Diagnosis and treatment Skin cancer

Diagnosis

The dermatologist will check your skin to determine if it is possible that it is skin cancer. Then, a skin biopsy will be taken to analyze it and establish if it is cancer and what type it is.

Treatment:

Treatment will depend on the size, type, and location of the skin cancer. Smaller, more superficial cancers only require a skin biopsy to be removed. However, if additional treatments are needed, freezing, excisional surgery, electrodesiccation, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, photodynamic, and/or biological therapy may be included

Related centers and departments

ABC Cancer Center
High Specialty Surgery Center
Radiology and Molecular Imaging
Clinical Laboratory

Fuentes:

cigna.com
cancer.org
medlineplus.gov
cancer.net
medigraphic.com
Calderón-Ponce de León Y, Torres-González S, Medina-Bojórquez A. Algoritmo de decisiones para el manejo quirúrgico del carcinoma basocelular. Dermatol Rev Mex. 2020;64(4):456-461.
Álvarez CA, Rodríguez AJM, Salas BA. Revisión sistemática del carcinoma basocelular. Revista Médica Sinergia. 2020;5(05):483-483.
García-Hidalgo L, León-Dorantes G, Juárez-Navarrete L, et al. Características generales de sujetos mexicanos que acuden a jornadas de detección de cáncer de piel. Dermatol Rev Mex. 2019;63(5):455-462.

How can we help you?

The dissemination of the content of this material is for informational purposes only and does not replace, under any circumstance or condition, a consultation with a specialist doctor, for which the ABC Medical Center is not responsible for the different use that may be given to it. If you require more information related to the subject, we suggest you contact the specialist doctor you trust directly.

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Comparison of COVID-19 vaccines

Pfizer-
BioNTech

Pfizer-BioNTech

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 95% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

No Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 16 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine such as polyethylene glycol (PEG) or polysorbate.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, malaise, and swollen lymph nodes.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 14 days of having the complete scheme (after the administration of the 2nd dose), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

Moderna

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vaccine type: mRNA
Effectiveness: 94.5% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 28 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

Who should or shouldn’t get the vaccine?
People who should receive the vaccine are those over 18 years old.
People who should not receive the vaccine are those who have a history of anaphylactic shock (severe allergy) or who are allergic to any component of this vaccine.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain, fever, nausea, and swollen lymph nodes in the arm in which you received the injection.

Janssen/
Johnson
& Johnson

Janssen/ Johnson & Johnson

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 72.0% in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.
85% in the prevention of severe COVID-19.

Does not contain egg, latex, or preservatives./strong>

How many doses are needed?
Only one dose in needed.

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, chills, fever, and nausea.

How long will it take for me to be protected and what does it protect me from?
After 28 days of having the complete scheme (the last dose applied), the protection period is still under study. It protects us from 85% serious COVID-19 or requiring hospitalization.

AstraZeneca
and
Oxford
University

AstraZeneca and Oxford University

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 82% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 56 days apart (or up to 84 days apart, if necessary).

What are the possible side effects of the vaccine?
Pain where the injection was given, fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, and fever, which were mild to moderate in intensity and disappeared within 48 hours of vaccination.

Sputnik V

What is its effectiveness and what does it refer to?

Adenovirus vector-based vaccine.
Effectiveness: 92% after the second dose in the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19.

How many doses are needed?
Two doses are needed, at least 21 days apart (or up to six weeks apart, if necessary).

What is Skin cancer?

Signs and symptoms Skin cancer

Diagnosis and treatment Skin cancer

Related centers and departments

Fuentes:

Index

Specialist in Skin cancer