In this article I would like to talk about skin cancers again.

When you go to the surgeon and have a skin cancer removed and the surgeon is happy that all traces of the skin cancer are now gone and he tests the results under the microscope, to confirm for your benefit that all traces are now gone, then for all intents and purposes that's it end of story.

Why then do they say come back in six months or twelve months for a check up? Is it possible that once the skin cancer is removed,that it no longer exists,and if it no longer exists because it Has been removed then how come six months Or twelve months later when you have that routine checkup the surgeon finds another skin cancer and tells you that it has returned. Did it return,or is it a new skin cancer?

I believe that it is a new one and I will explain why I have that belief. When we get sunburned do we simply get burned on a very small area or do we normally get burned all over. Yet we expect to only have the skin cancer localized to Some small area of our face or body,now that is not logical when You think about it is it? Once the skin cancer is removed it is gone for good because the tissue is no longer there. I was asked the other day, do skin cancer cells come back years later.

I then did some research to confirm my suspicions this article is based on the result of that research and on my own results over the past three and a half years. There are over 10,000,000,000,000 cells in our bodies. The biggest organ in our body is the skin,It covers and protects everything inside the body. Every minute of every day twenty four hours a day three hundred and sixty five and a quarter days of the year,year in year out until we no longer exist, we lose about 30,000 to 40,000 dead skin cells off the surface of our skin.

It takes about 15 days to a month for the skin cells to replace themselves. This you observe when you cut yourself and it heals over within a few weeks. Skin cancers become active at different stages,we are fortunate for that because if they all became active at once we would not survive.. When that happens a new skin cancer becomes active on another part of the body or extremely close to the area where the last one was removed. This is a completely new skin cancer not a continuation of the one that was completely removed either by the surgeon,doctor or other means. If then as I believe this is a new skin cancer then we must treat it as a new skin cancer and not a regeneration of the one that was removed earlier. All the more reason why we need to take control of our own health by maintaining a healthy diet avoiding as much as possible acid forming foods and drinks,and observing our own bodies becoming aware of changes in our skin. I personally now can tell when a skin cancer becomes active on myself.

The results are very accurate. When a skin cancer becomes active on my face,arms,chest,back,or legs I notice that especially in hot weather it gets itchy and most times a little red its always in the same spot its as if I had spilled battery acid on that isolated area,these areas are I found require attention before they get worse. Here is a link to a video I put up on you tube about some of my skin cancers.





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Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer and frequently arises on the sun exposed skin of middle aged and elderly individuals. General risk factors associated with the disease are: age more than 50; male sex ; fair skin; location closer to the equator; history of prior non-melanoma skin cancer or human papilloma virus infection; high exposure to ultra violet light, chemical carcinogens and ionizing radiation; and chronic immuno-suppression or a scarring condition. A cumulative life time sun exposure and immuno-suppression are primarily believed to be the cause of this condition. A typical SCC lesion is a raised, pink-to-flesh-colored papule or plaque arising on sun exposed skin. Surgery, local chemotherapy, photo-dynamic therapy and radiation therapy are the standard line of treatment for this condition.

Low risk tumors are usually cured with appropriate surgical therapy; however there is a 40% risk of recurrence in such patients. In addition, high risk tumors are aggressive and spread to other parts of the body very fast. Ayurvedic medicines for SCC are indicated in such patients with a history of recurrence or of having high risk tumors. The aim of treatment is to treat the local tumor and prevent its spread to other parts of the body. Medicines used for this purpose are: Arogya-Vardhini, Gandhak-Rasayan, Triphala-Guggulu, Chandraprabha-Vati and Punarnavadi-Guggulu. Kanchnaar-Guggulu, Maha-Manjishthadi-Qadha and Chandraprabha-Vati are used in high doses to prevent the spread of the tumor.

Herbal medicines which act on the 'Ras' 'Rakta' and 'Mansa' dhatus (tissues) of the body are useful in the treatment of SCC. Indrayav (Holarrhina antidysentrica), Patol (Tricosanthe dioica), Kutki (Picrorrhiza kurroa), Saariva (Hemidesmus indicus), Patha (Cissampelos pareira), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Triphala (Three fruits), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Chirayta (Swertia chirata), Chandan (Santalum album), Sunthi (Zinziber officinalis), Manjishtha (Rubia cordifolia), Gokshur ( Tribulus terrestris), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Sunthi (Zinziber officinalis), Marich (Piper nigrum), Pippali (Piper longum) and Punarnava (Boerhaavia diffusa) are useful in this condition.

Medicines like Suvarna-Parpati, Trivang-Bhasma, Suvarna-Raj-Vangeshwar-Ras, Abhrak-Bhasma, Heerak-Bhasma, Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Yashtimadhuk (Glycerrhiza glabra), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Bala (Sida cordifolia), Naagbala (Grewia hirsuta), Samudrashosh (Argyreia speciosa), Kapikacchu (Mucuna pruriens) and Suvarna-Bhasma are used to boost the immune status of the body and improve the therapeutic response of other medicines.

It is important to note that SCC has an initial high cure rate with surgery, but recurrence and spread of the tumor are common pitfalls of this condition. A regular follow-up of such patients on a long-term basis is therefore mandatory.





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You just found out the spot on your nose was a type of skin cancer that required a surgical technique called Mohs Surgery to remove it. What is Mohs surgery and why can't your dermatologist tell you how long the procedure will take?

Both these questions are very good questions.

Mohs surgery is named for the physician who developed the technique, Dr. Frederic Mohs. It is an effective way for a dermatologist to remove skin cancer and preserve as much of the surrounding normal tissue as possible. During the first step in Mohs surgery your dermatologist removes the skin cancer lesion along with very little of the surrounding normal tissue. In most cases, you are immediately bandaged. The surgical technique to remove the tissue can take approximately 15-30 minutes. Most patients believe that is the end of the surgery. In fact, there are a few very important steps that need to be completed before you can go home.

The tissue that was removed must be processed by a Mohs Technician so that your dermatologist can determine whether or not any cancer cells remain. This is a slow process that can not be rushed. The tissue is carefully prepared to ensure all edges of the tissue will be visible when examined by your dermatologist. Next, the tissue is frozen and sliced into thin microscopic layers by a lab machine called a Cryostat. These thin layers of the tissue are then mounted on a slide and must dry. Once dried the specimen is stained using a specific order of stains and processing solutions. Now the tissue is ready to be examined by your dermatologist. The whole process of preparing the tissue takes approximately 45-60 minutes.

Your dermatologist will examine the processed tissue under a microscope to determine if any cancer cells remain. If the exam reveals cancerous cells in the tissue examined, a second layer will be removed and processed. In fact, multiple layers may be taken to ensure the area is free of cancer cells. Therefore, Mohs Surgery can take between 2-8 hours depending on the number of layers needed to remove all cancer cells.

Once the cancer cells are removed, your dermatologist will determine the best way to let the wound heal. If the wound is small and in a favorable location, it may be left to heal on its own. Frequently, a few stitches are all that is necessary after Mohs Surgery. Other times a larger area is involved and your dermatologist will use other procedures to reconstruct the area where the cancer was removed. The process of "closing" the wound may take approximately 30 minutes or more.

Mohs surgery is a very specific technique that requires multiple steps to ensure skin cancers are removed. You should expect your Mohs surgery to be completed within a couple of hours, although be prepared for the procedure to take longer. Most dermatologists offer a special area with a television to help patients pass the time. You may want to bring a book, a family member or a good friend to make your time as pleasant as possible.





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