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Rising Global Cases of Dementia: How to Protect Your Brain Today
Understanding and Treating Skin Cancer: Types, Risk Factors, and Warning Signs
skin cancer
skin cancer It is caused by skin cells dividing and growing abnormally from skin cells. became cancer cells There are important risk factors such as exposure to sunlight, genetic factors, chronic non-healing wounds on the skin, or a mole that has grown in size. Change in color and shape
Types of skin cancer
Skin cancer can be divided into 2 types:
Skin cancer that originates from skin cells is divided into 2 types:
Basal cell carcinoma is the #1 most common type of skin cancer among all skin cancers. which is caused by abnormalities of the basal cell layer. It is found in areas of the skin exposed to sunlight for a long time. or have you ever had sunburned skin This type of cancer The prognosis is quite good and the progression is slow.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common type of skin cancer among all skin cancers. which is caused by general skin abnormalities If left untreated or untreated, there is a possibility of it spreading to other nearby organs.
Melanoma skin cancer (melanoma)
Skin cancer is the least common but is the most serious. Caused by abnormalities of melanin-producing cells Exposure to UV rays from the sun or sunburn Having a family history of this type of cancer And moles that become larger and change shape, you need to be careful and come get checked quickly.
Risk Factors That Cause Skin Cancer Warning Signs to Watch Out For
-Prolonged exposure to the sun, such as working outdoors or basking in the sun
-White skin or white skin
-The family has a history of skin cancer.
-Exposure to arsenic
-Skin that has been irradiated
-There are many moles or abnormally small spots.
-Smoke regularly
-Chronic wounds that have not healed in the skin area for more than 3 months
-immune deficiency
Observations on skin cancer
-There are bumps or lumps.
-The skin breaks down forming wounds, scabs and bleeding. In some cases, pain may also occur.
-Moles grow faster than normal. There are a variety of colors. The shape changes asymmetrically, size larger than 6 millimeters.
-There is a chronic rash that raises and cannot be cured.
Can the color of your nails tell you you have skin cancer?
Colored streaks on nails can be caused by many reasons, such as injury to the base of the nail due to manicure, peeling, radiation therapy and fungal nail infections. Receiving certain medications Or it can also be a warning sign of melanoma in the nail area. You can observe the nail color as follows.
-The nails have dark brown or black streaks.
-The colored stripe is 3 millimeters wider.
-The color band has unclear boundaries.
– There are a variety of colors.
-Colored stripe that extends to the base of the nail
How to treat
To treat skin cancer, doctors must first determine the type of cancer you are experiencing. Because the treatment is different. Looking at the big picture, the best treatment for cancer is surgery to remove all the cancer. The patient has a 90-99% chance of recovery and has minimal recurrence.
But in some patients who cannot undergo surgery or who are at high risk for surgery, doctors will consider additional treatment approaches such as curettage and electrocautery. Spraying with liquid nitrogen Drugs that boost the immune system or use a laser to destroy it But with non-surgical treatment, there is a greater chance of the cancer returning.
Skin cancer can be cured if it is diagnosed early and treated quickly. If the patient has a raised bump Have a wound on the skin for a long time or have a rapidly growing mole, you should immediately consult a doctor for a diagnosis. It should not be allowed to spread and affect treatment.
Prof. Dr. Theeraphong Rattananuukrom
Department of Dermatology Department of Internal Medicine
Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital Mahidol University
#skin #cancer
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Understanding and Treating Skin Cancer: Types, Risk Factors, and Warning Signs
Still mentally fit even in old age: The secret of the super-agers
It is normal for our memory to decline as we age. At least that’s true for most people. An exception are so-called superagers. By definition, the memory performance of these seniors is equivalent to that of people 30 years younger. So an 80-year-old super-ager is as mentally fit as an average 50-year-old.
What is her secret? Researchers led by Bryan Strange, professor of clinical neuroscience at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, have been investigating this for several years.
Super-Ager versus Normal-Ager
To do this, they analyze data from 64 super-agers and 55 comparison subjects. Participants complete regular tests that test their memory, motor and verbal skills, undergo brain scans and blood tests, and answer questions about lifestyle and behaviors. The research team has already published a total of two studies, one last year (FOCUS online reported) and one in April of this year.
Differences in brains
In summary, the researchers found that the super-agers had more volume in the brain regions important for memory, especially in the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex. In addition, connectivity between regions in the front of the brain that are important for cognition was better preserved.
Interestingly, both super-agers and the control group showed minimal signs of Alzheimer’s in their brains. An important finding because: “If we have two groups, both with low levels of Alzheimer’s markers, but with striking cognitive differences and striking differences in their brains, then we are really talking about resistance to age-related decline,” Strange explained to the ” New York Times.”
Differences in lifestyle and health
How this resistance occurs in the brain is still unclear. However, the researchers were also able to identify differences in terms of health and lifestyle factors.
The super-agers performed significantly better in two areas:
Mobility/motor skills mental health
Interestingly, the advantage was in mobility and motor skills, even though the super-agers were not more physically active than the control group. However, a closer look at the first study shows that they did so in midlife. The foundation for future mobility is laid earlier.
The super-agers also performed better than the control group in surveys and tests on mental health. They had less depression and anxiety. Then it can play a role, because mental illnesses such as depression are considered a risk factor for the development of dementia.
A difference was also noticeable in these areas
In addition, other variables were identified that “could optimize memory function into the ninth decade of life,” the researchers write.
Super-Ager
were more interested in music (both active and passive), had better reading skills, complained less about lack of sleep (although they had the same amount of sleep on average as the control group), had a more active lifestyle in midlife and were less likely to have high blood sugar or high blood pressure.
Interestingly, super-agers were also more likely to be separated or divorced. This is in contrast to previous studies with super-agers. The researchers attribute this to cultural differences between the respective study subjects.
Important: This is a so-called observational study. The researchers themselves write that “a causal relationship cannot be concluded between the factors reported here and super-agers”.
It’s probably not that easy to become a super-ager, but these factors are within your control
“In an ideal world you would find that all super-agers eat six tomatoes every day and that would be the key,” The New York Times quoted Tessa Harrison as saying. She herself has already been involved in studies on super-agers. However, super-agers “probably have some sort of lucky predisposition or resistance mechanism in the brain at a molecular level that we don’t yet understand – probably linked to their genes.”
Conclusion: While there is no recipe for becoming a super-ager, science agrees that certain protective factors can help our brains age healthily. Considered the most important
healthy diet, physical activity, sufficient sleep and social contacts.
Also read: What a dementia doctor does to avoid forgetting
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Still mentally fit even in old age: The secret of the super-agers