Skin cancer a concern no matter the season
Adults and even children are susceptible to skin cancer
when spending time outdoors.
i Young Chong, MD, has
been named Associate
Chief of Neurology and Director
of the Stroke Program at
NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn
Methodist Hospital. She
arrives from NewYork-Presbyterian
Lower Manhattan Hospital,
where she served as the
Site Chief of Neurology and
the Director of the Stroke Center.
Dr. Chong, who is also an
Assistant Professor of Clinical
Neurology at Weill Cornell
Medicine, assumed her new
role on July 1.
In her new role, Dr. Chong
will lead NewYork-Presbyterian
Brooklyn Methodist Hospital’s
Mobile Stroke Treatment
Unit (MSTU). The MSTU
emergency vehicle is designed
to provide immediate, specialized
care to people who may
be having a stroke — bringing
NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn
Methodist’s advanced technologies,
expert staff, and lifesaving
stroke treatment to
more people in need.
Each Mobile Stroke Treatment
COURIER L 36 IFE, JULY 5–11, 2019 M BR B G
Unit is dispatched with
a highly specialized team consisting
of a critical care nurse,
two certified paramedics, one
CT technician and a neurologist
in attendance virtually.
The unit is equipped to access
electronic medical records and
transmit images right from
the back of the ambulance so
the neurologist can review the
scan results and treat patients
in real time.
To treat a stroke, it is imperative
to know what kind
of stroke it is. An immediate
CT scan can tell our neurologist
whether they’re dealing
with an ischemic stroke – one
caused by a clot blocking the
blood flow to your brain – or a
hemorrhagic stroke – a stroke
caused by a ruptured blood
vessel in the brain.
The unit also contains equipment
and medications to treat
strokes, including tPA — a medication
that works by dissolving
a blood clot and improving
the flow of oxygen-rich blood to
the affected part of the brain.
On occasion, the on-board CT
scanner will demonstrate intracranial
hemorrhage, which
cannot be treated with tPA. In
these instances, the MSTU can
benefit the patient by offering
earlier neurological consultation
and advanced blood pressure
management with intravenous
medications with the
aim of stopping the bleeding.
Additionally, such information
can be used, with approval of
FDNY online medical control,
to triage a patient to the closest
hospital with the necessary
neurosurgical team required
to treat intracranial hemorrhages.
Health
Skin cancer can affect anyone, and overexposure to
the sun, a key risk factor for skin cancer, can occur
at any time of year. Whether it is a hot, sultry day
spent by the pool or a chilly day skiing the slopes, any
exposure to the sun can result in skin damage that can
increase a person’s risk for skin cancer. Plus, certain areas
of the body are more susceptible than others.
How does skin cancer form?
When DNA, the material that encodes genetic information
in all cells of the body, is damaged and the body
cannot repair that damage, a person’s risk for cancer
increases. Damaged cells begin to grow and divide uncontrollably.
Damaged skin cells that divide and spread
can cause skin cancer. Because skin cancer tumors generally
form in the outer-most layer of the skin known
as the epidermis, skin cancer may be more readily apparent
and detectable than many other cancers in the
early stages.
The American Academy of Dermatology says that
one in fi ve Americans will develop some form of skin
cancer in their lifetime, while the Canadian Skin Cancer
Foundation says that basal cell carcinoma, the most
common form of skin cancer, affects 50,000 to 60,000 Canadians
each year.
Where is skin cancer most likely to
appear?
Skin cancer is most likely to appear on the areas
of the body most exposed to the sun. These include the
head, face, neck, arms, and legs. Those who are bald or
balding can also have skin cancer appear on their scalp.
But skin cancer can develop anywhere on the body
where there is skin, which makes it important to routinely
check all areas of the body for indicators of the
disease.
A recent study by The Mayo Clinic found that, while
skin cancer can affect anyone, young women are more
likely to receive a diagnosis. The study indicated that
melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, has
increased by eight times for women under the age of 40
since 1970. Even children can get skin cancer. A study in
the journal Pediatrics found that the number of cases of
skin cancer among children and adolescents has been
increasing each year by about two percent.
Types of skin cancer
There are three main types of skin cancer. They include
basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma,
and melanoma.
Basal cell carcinoma occurs in the basal cells,
which are the lowest level of the epidermis. It can appear
as a shiny translucent or pearly nodule, a sore that
continuously heals and then reopens, a pink slightly
elevated growth, reddish irritated patches of skin, or a
waxy scar.
Squamous cell carcinoma occurs in the upper
layer of the epidermis. It often looks like a crusty, red
patch of skin.
Melanoma begins in the melanocytes, the cells in
the epidermis that give the skin its color. Melanoma
is the most deadly form of skin cancer because it can
quickly spread into the lymph system of the body and
organs. Melanoma can form in a preexisting mole or
form a new mole.
Causes of skin cancer
Exposure to sunlight is the leading cause of skin cancer,
according to the American Cancer Society. While
the rays of the sun may be more intense during the
summertime, any exposure to the sun can lead to skin
cancer. The sun can refl ect off of snow and become concentrated.
No matter how many layers a person wears
during cooler weather, the head and neck area tends to
remain exposed to the sun’s damaging ultraviolet radiation
year-round.
Skin cancer is most likely to occur in people with
pale skin who have a tendency to burn or freckle when
exposed to the sun. But everyone should be diligent and
cover up when spending time outdoors.
No one is immune to skin cancer, and the change of
seasons does not lower a person’s risk of getting the disease.
Anytime a person is in the sun he or she runs the
risk of ultraviolet exposure that can lead to skin cancer,
which highlights the importance of taking preventive
measures to safeguard yourself from skin cancer.