What are the categories of Skin cancer?
Skin cancers can be divided into 2 main categories: Nonmelanoma and melanoma.
Nonmelanoma
Carcinoma is the most common type of cancer diagnosed. It is not widely reported as it rarely leads to death. In addition, it is difficult to enumerate the cases.
Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the two most common forms of Nonmelanoma. They usually occur in people over the age of 50.
Basal cell carcinoma alone makes up about 90% of skin cancers. It is formed in the deepest layer of the epidermis.
In Turkey & Istanbul, basal cell carcinoma is not only the most common skin cancer but also the most common of all cancers. Malignancy of basal cell carcinoma is predominantly local (it almost never results in metastases, secondary tumors that form away from the original tumor, after cancer cells have dissociated from it), which makes it very rarely fatal. However, its diagnosis, particularly in periorificial areas (eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) can be mutilating, resulting in large losses of skin substance.
Squamous cell carcinoma is a carcinoma developed at the expense of the epidermis, reproducing the appearance of keratinized cells. In Turkey and Istanbul, epidermoid carcinomas are the second most common skin cancer and account for about 20% of carcinomas. Squamous cell carcinomas can cause metastasis but this is quite rare and only 1% of patients with squamous cell carcinoma die from their cancer.
The melanomas
Malignant tumours that are formed in melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin (a pigment), are called melanomas, especially in the skin and eyes. They usually manifest as a dark spot.
With 5,000 new cases in Turkey and Istanbul in 2018, melanoma is the 7th most frequently diagnosed cancer in Turkey and Istanbul.
Melanomas can occur at any age. They are among the cancers that can progress quickly and generate metastases. They are responsible for 75% of the deaths caused by skin cancer. Fortunately, if they are discovered early, they can be treated successfully.
Medical treatments for skin cancer in Turkey and Istanbul
Surgery
Several skin cancers can be completely eliminated through surgery. After anesthetizing the skin locally, the doctor extracts the cancerous tumor with a scalpel. Depending on the size, type, and site of the cancer, he/she can either cauterize the wound or close it with stitches.
Radiotherapy
It is sometimes used in certain circumstances, for example, when it is difficult to perform a surgery, or after surgery, to kill the remaining cancer cells. Radiotherapy is used to destroy cancer cells with electromagnetic radiation and save the healthy peripheral tissues.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy can be used to strengthen the immune system to certain substances, such as interferon or interleukin, to help fight cancer.
Affordable prices for your skin cancer treatment in Turkey & Istanbul
Have you been told that you have a spot on the skin that could be a skin cancer?
Turquie santé strives to offer you the best prices and the best quality of service. Costs include the management of skin cancer from diagnosis, treatment to follow-up to the use of health care resources such as hospitals and clinics in Ankara, Istanbul, Turkey, Izmir, and Antalya.
Last update : 10/12/2019
