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Warning!

The articles and Patient leaflets published on this Blogg , have been originally written for the Geraldton Guardian's forthnightly Health Matters section or the www.cityhealthgeraldton.com.au - General Practice Website. I have researched topics , i wrote about, as thoroughly as I could and have listed sources at the end of each article. They are by no means purely scientific but reflect general medical opinion at the time of writing . Medicine and Health news move past, and some of the advice and opinions, will become outdated. Guardian articles were limited to about 400 words , which sometimes made the offering of a comprehensive view difficult if not imperfect. These articles shouldn't be used as replacement for propper medical professional advice and treatment and you are encouraged to seek medical advice and treatment from your doctor , pharmacist, appropriate specialist (physio, chiro...) on matters , if you are concerned.

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Summer , sun and serious skin problems




The great Australian work- and lifestyle comes with a price tag, not only on outdoor toys.
800,000 Australians see their doctor yearly for a skin cancer consultation, a huge burden ultimately to the taxpayer and all of us. Thanks to public health campaigns and increasing awareness, the sun-smart Aussie is for a long time now wearing a broad-brimmed hat, a long sleeve shirt and a high protection layer of sun screen. Skin cancer is rare in childhood but sunburn or excessive exposure to the sun in childhood is thought to be the biggest risk factor for developing skin cancer as an adult. Cancer is the disorganized and uninhibited aggressive growth of modified, previously normal cells, either damaging local structures or spreading to distant organs. Look out for each other - especially for lesions on the back of arms, neck and back. Should skin-lesions persistently change or grow over weeks and months, see your Doctor. 30% of melanomas develop from pre-existing pigmented moles.
ABCD rule of skin lesions
· Asymmetry - the shape of a cancer is often uneven and asymmetrical, not round and even.
· Border / edges of a cancer are often ragged, notched or blurred and not smooth and well-defined.
· Colour - the colour (pigmentation) of a cancer is often not uniform. So there may be 2-3 shades of brown or black.
· Diameter - cancer is usually larger than a normal mole, and continues to grow.

Cancers can start as small pink or pearly lumps on the skin. The lumps are often dome-shaped and grow at different speeds. The skin lump may crust over, form a crater and bleed sometimes. Other cancers start as a small crusted or scaly area, with a red or pink base, growing into a wart like lump.
Most skin cancers in Australia are managed by GPs, the best doctors in the world at recognising skin cancer, most are now using magnifying glasses, skin microscopes and cameras. GPs know when lesions are beyond their expertise and other doctors need to be involved. There are numerous computer programs claiming to diagnose skin cancer by linking software to a scanner. They are heavily marketed to the public. Slogans such as, ‘Be scanned be sure’ are grossly misleading. The evidence is, Patients are better off seeing their own GP or dermatologist if necessary.
So ask for a special skin check consultation with your Doctor at least once a year.
Dr. Helko Schenk

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