Skin cancer is something we are all well aware of. The dangers are constantly around us, and we are led to believe that the only way we can possibly get skin cancer, is if we expose our skin to too much sunlight without wearing protection.

However, there are some studies which claim that what we eat can also have a drastic effect on our chances of developing the condition. On the other hand some studies say that our diet cannot affect the condition. So what are we supposed to believe? Can our diet really affect our chances of getting skin cancer? Or is it just a load of rubbish?

Skin Cancer and Our Diet

There is also some kind of research going on in order to find links between our lifestyle and cancer. We all know that our diet affects our skin, but did you know that your diet could also affect skin cancer?

The suns UV levels are apparently a good source of vitamin D for our bodies. Whilst that may be true, there are people that go off into the sun without adequate protection, thinking that Vitamin D will help them reduce the risk of skin cancer, as well as other cancers, and that they will not be harmed because Vitamin D is good for them.

However, whilst it is true that the sun does help our bodies to have a higher Vitamin D production, it is still well known for giving us skin cancer. This means that we need to get our Vitamin D from other sources, for example in our diets.

It is thought that fatty diets increase our risk of developing skin cancer. Studies have been done on mice, where scientists have underfed a group of them, exposed them to chemicals which promote skin cancer, and they have found that fewer underfed mice developed the condition compared to the other group of mice who did not have their calorie intake reduced.

So this showed that somehow, eating healthier and having a calorie restricted diet, somehow helped to promote a protective hormone, which stopped some of the mice developing skin cancer. However, the studies have not shown fully which gland produced the hormone, so those tests are currently incomplete.

There is no denying that the diet plays a big part in our skin condition, and it is more than likely that it does in fact affect our chances of developing skin cancer. So what foods should we be eating?

Oily fish is extremely good for the skin and fish such as salmon can really help to cut chances of skin cancer down. This is because the omega three fatty acids help to repair DNA damage caused by the cancer.

Eating oily fish three times a week has been proven to reduce a persons risk of burning in the sun right down after a month, and after three months, the risk of burning in the sun is further reduced by up to 33%.

However, whilst they may help to cut down the risk, they are still no match for fierce sun levels and sun protection should still be worn.

It is thought that a healthy diet is your best defense against all forms of cancer, and eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is definitely the way to go! Cutting down on salty and sugary foods is also definitely a good idea, as is increasing the amount of calcium you get daily.

Overall there is research to say that diet affects skin cancer, and research to suggest that it does not. If you are unsure your best bet is to simply eat healthier anyway. Eating healthy is good for the skin whether you are trying to prevent skin cancer or not.

Trying to get at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day is what you should be aiming for, and also cutting down on really fatty foods. If you are unsure about anything you can always consult a doctor or nutritionist and they will be able to give you more advice.





Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Mycosis Fungoides is an extremely rare form of skin cancer and it tends to affect twice as many men as it does women. Many people assume that it is an innocent fungal infection when they first hear the name; however it is in fact a much more sinister condition which is a type of cutaneous T cell Lymphoma.

Generally a cutaneous T-cell Lymphoma is an uncontrollable growth within the skin of the T cells within the body. Whilst most people do not notice any change to their daily life once they do have Mycosis Fungoides, it still does need to be treated as soon as possible.

Who Mycosis Fungoides affects the Most and what causes it:

Mycosis Fungoides seems to affect black skinned people more than fair skinned people, and as mentioned earlier, it tends to affect men more than women.

Whilst it is possible for the condition to strike at any age, it does seem to affect older people generally over the age of fifty. Why the condition appears is currently unknown but you definitely cannot pass it on to anybody else. The condition is also not hereditary and the symptoms do tend to vary from person to person.

Itching seems to be the most common form of symptom in most people, and the condition itself seems to appear in various stages. During its early stages, the skin will develop small patches of redness, though in darker skins the patches may simply just look darker than usual.

The patches are generally extremely itchy and you may notice that some patches are raised from the skin. They tend to appear mainly on the buttocks, under the arms, on the hips and on the chest.

The second stage usually includes skin tumors. The color of the lumps seems to now be a violet color and they are also raised. They are sometimes ulcerated, though that does not happen all the time.

Next is the redness stage where as well as skin patches and raised lumps, large sections of the skin also turn red. These areas of the skin also tend to be really itchy and they often look quite scaly too. You may also notice that the folds of skin on your face and in the palms of your hands become quite thick and they could even crack.

Finally, if not treated, the condition tends to spread to other parts of the body and usually the first parts of the body to be affected are the lymph nodes.

These then become inflamed and at this stage they can become cancerous. If they are cancerous, the condition can spread to the liver, the lungs and even the bone marrow.

Usually, it takes around six years to diagnose Mycosis Fungoides from the start of the symptoms appearing. This can make it difficult to treat early and as mentioned, people generally do not know they have the condition and so their normal lives are usually not disrupted.

It is extremely common to confuse the condition with other conditions and usually in order to fully diagnose this condition; a skin sample will need to be taken.

Usually if caught early, steroid creams can be used to clear up the condition, though if it is cancerous, chemotherapy may need to be used. As rare as it is, Mycosis Fungoides does occur in some people and it does take an extremely long time to realize that you actually have it.

It usually does not turn out to be fatal, but if it is left untreated for an extremely long length of time from diagnosis, it can unfortunately lead to death.

Any type of skin cancer is potentially dangerous, you just have to catch it early enough and look out for any symptoms whatsoever that give the condition away.






Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

The mere mention of the word cancer is enough to make anyone hyperventilate. There are, of course, different types of cancer. In this article, we take a look at skin cancer.

When sitting in a doctor’s office, one always tends to get the feeling any news will be bad news. Imagine sitting there and having your doctor tell you that you have cancer.

What would your reaction be to such news. Panic? Shock? What would it mean to your life, your family, your friends if you found out you had cancer. What if it is terminal?

Cancer and death, the two words just go together notwithstanding the experiences of Lance Armstrong. Skin cancer is often treatable. More importantly, you could have prevented it.

So, just what are we talking about when we say skin cancer? In the most basic terms, it is an unnatural growth in the layers of the skin. The growth typically occurs in the epidermis.

Skin cancer is often associated with, surprise, exposure to the sun. Repeated sun burns can be one cause. So can extensive exposure over time. Our atmosphere is letting in more ultraviolet radiation as well, which is increasing the number of cases.

Cancerous skin growth is actually a catch all phrase. This particular cancer breaks down into three different types with each having its own outcome.

If you are particularly unlucky, you will be diagnosed with Malignant melanoma. It is a killer. If not treated early, it will spread and is fatal. Fortunately, it is the least common diagnosis.

Strange as it may sound, the second sub-cancer can be hereditary. It is basal cell. It is also the most frequently diagnosed skin cancer. The good news is it is rarely fatal and can be treated.

A third category of cancer is Squamous cell. It is can form on your skin or in your internal organs. How scary is that? Squamous is treatable, but can also spread and be fatal.

Any cancer diagnosis is obviously a bad thing. The ironic and sad fact of skin cancer is you can reduce your risk to practically zero. You just need to take common sense steps.

Picture a warm, sunny day. What are people doing? They are lying out in the sun. They are going on walks. They are doing some landscaping. All of these things put them at risk for skin cancer.

Am I suggesting you stay inside all the time? Of course, not. Just wear sun block to protect your fragile skin. If you are balding, throw a hat on. Nothing is worse than skin cancer on the noggin.





Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com