“Although closely related, the treatment and prognosis varies greatly between actinic keratosis (AK), keratoacanthoma (KA), and other skin cancers; therefore, an accurate diagnosis is essential. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has been explored as a possible means to differentiate between AK, KA, and others.”.
The Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (https://www.jaad.org/article/S0190-9622(19)31299-X/fulltext).
Actinic keratosis (AK) is a skin disorder that causes rough, scaly patches of skin. Another name for AK is solar keratosis. AK is a type of precancer, which means that if you don’t treat the condition, it could turn into cancer. Without treatment, AK can lead to a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
The risk factors of Akinetic Keratosis are:
–UV exposure from the sun or indoor tanning.
-History of skin cancer in particular history of actinic keratosis.
-Fair skin: People with fair skin including lighter color hair or eyes have an increased risk.
Warning Signs can help with early detection and treatment this can be successfully removed without complications. Look out for any new, changing or unusual skin growths, so you can spot skin cancers like BCC when they are easiest to treat and cure.
–UV exposure from the sun or indoor tanning.
-contact with chemical carcinogens, or cancer-causing chemicals
-Infection with some strains of a wart virus, such as papillomavirus
-History of skin cancer in particular history of Keratoacanthoma.
Warning Signs can help with early detection and treatment, this can be successfully removed without complications if caught early. Look out for any new, changing or unusual skin growths, so you can spot skin cancers like BCC when they are easiest to treat and cure.
“Get the facts about skin cancer, the most common cancer in the United States and worldwide.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to skin cancer, so make sure you know all the facts.
About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
Actinic keratosis is the most common precancer; it affects more than 58 million Americans. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. An estimated 1.8 million cases of SCC are diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40 percent. Incidence rates of Merkel cell carcinoma, a rare and aggressive form of skin cancer, increased by 95 percent from 2000 to 2013.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a proven human carcinogen. Indoor tanning devices can emit UV radiation in amounts 10 to 15 times higher than the sun at its peak intensity.
The annual cost of treating skin cancers in the U.S. is estimated at $8.1 billion: about $4.8 billion for nonmelanoma skin cancers and $3.3 billion for melanoma.”
Squamous cell carcinoma is the second most common form of skin cancer in the United States. It accounts for about 15 percent of all skin cancers. It is caused due to over production of skin cells. Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is caused by DNA damage that leads to abnormal changes (mutations) in the squamous cells in the outermost layer of skin. This cancer is common (More than 200,000 cases per year in US). The majority of squamous cell skin cancers are easily and successfully treated with current therapies.
Knowing the causes, risk factors and warning signs can help you detect them early, when they are easiest to treat and cure.
The risk factors of Squamous Cell Carcinoma are:
–UV exposure from the sun or indoor tanning.
-History of skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or melanoma
– Age over 50: Most BCCs appear in people over age 50.
-Fair skin: People with fair skin have an increased risk.
Warning Signs can help with early detection and treatment this can be successfully removed without complications. Look out for any new, changing or unusual skin growths, so you can spot skin cancers like BCC when they are easiest to treat and cure.
This is a type of skin cancer characterized by flesh-colored nodule that occurs on the face, head or neck. It begins in the cells at the base of the uppermost layer of the skin (epidermis). A normal Merkel cell is a cross between a nerve cell and an endocrine (or hormone-producing) cell located on or just below the skin in the underlying tissue, and functions predominantly as a touch receptor. Merkel cell carcinoma occurs when these cells begin to grow uncontrollably.
Merkel cell tumors typically arise on, but are not limited to, sun-exposed parts of the body such as the face and neck. Their shape and color are less distinctive than other skin cancers, and they can often appear as an innocent pink pearly nodule. As a result, it is usually only the speed with which they grow that attracts the attention of patients and their doctors.
With early detection and treatment, Merkel cell carcinoma can be well contained and even cured. Treatment becomes more difficult as the tumor grows and spreads, but aggressive therapy can still lead to high rates of survival.
Again, Warning Signs can help with early detection and treatment this can be successfully removed without complications. Look out for any new, changing or unusual skin growths, so you can spot skin cancers like BCC when they are easiest to treat and cure.
–UV exposure from the sun or indoor tanning.
-History of skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or melanoma
– Age over 50: Most BCCs appear in people over age 50.
-Fair skin: People with fair skin have an increased risk.
-Male gender: Men are more likely to develop BCC.
-Merkel Cell Virus. Recently, researchers have linked a virus to many cases of Merkel cell carcinoma. However, it remains to be determined if the Merkel cell polyomarvirus causes the disease, and if it might help guide future treatment. If so, the virus could offer promising new targets for immunotherapy.
“With over 5 million cases diagnosed in the United States each year, skin cancer is America’s most common cancer. Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable cancers. By sharing facts about the dangers of unprotected sun exposure and encouraging people to check their skin for warning signs, we can and will save lives.”.
Skin Cancer Foundation (https://www.skincancer.org/get-involved/skin-cancer-awareness-month/)
Skin cancer — the abnormal growth of skin cells — most often develops on skin exposed to the sun. But this common form of cancer can also occur on areas of your skin not ordinarily exposed to sunlight.
There are three major types of skin cancer — basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
You can reduce your risk of skin cancer by limiting or avoiding exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Checking your skin for suspicious changes can help detect skin cancer at its earliest stages. Early detection of skin cancer gives you the greatest chance for successful skin cancer treatment.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer and the most frequently occurring form of all cancers. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 3.6 million cases are diagnosed each year. BCCs arise from abnormal, uncontrolled growth of basal cells. Basal Cell Carcinoma grows slowly, most are curable and cause minimal damage when caught and treated early.
Knowing the causes, risk factors and warning signs can help you detect them early, when they are easiest to treat and cure.
The risk factors of BCC are:
–UV exposure from the sun or indoor tanning.
-History of skin cancer, including squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) or melanoma
– Age over 50: Most BCCs appear in people over age 50.
-Fair skin: People with fair skin have an increased risk.
-Male gender: Men are more likely to develop BCC.
-Chronic infections and skin inflammation from burns, scars and other conditions.
Warning Signs can help with early detection and treatment, almost all basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) can be successfully removed without complications. Look out for any new, changing or unusual skin growths, so you can spot skin cancers like BCC when they are easiest to treat and cure.
Melanoma is a type of cancer that usually begins in the skin. Specifically, it begins in cells called melanocytes. These are cells that produce melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin, hair, and eyes their color.
Melanoma is among the most serious forms of skin cancer.
Melanoma is the deadliest type of skin cancer. It can be “in situ” which means that the cancer is confined to the top layer of skin, thus being highly curable. It can also be “malignant” which means that the cancer can spread to other parts of the body which significantly decreases the survivability rate. Melanoma in situ can grow to be malignant melanoma if not treated. The key to surviving melanoma is early detection, and especially before it becomes malignant. Melanoma caught in the early stages of its development is highly curable with a 97% survival rate.
Risk Factors of Melanoma are:
-Ultraviolet light exposure
-Moles
-Fair skin, freckling, light hair
-Family history of melanoma
-Personal history of melanoma or skin cancers
-Having a weakened immune response
-Being older
-Being male
-Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP): This is a rare, inherited condition that affects skin cells’ ability to repair damage to their DNA. People with XP have a high risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers when they are young, especially on sun-exposed areas of their skin.
Again warning signs can count help with early detection and treatment this can be successfully removed without complications. Look out for any new, changing or unusual skin growths, so you can spot skin cancers like BCC when they are easiest to treat and cure.
“Amyloidosis is a rare disease characterized by a buildup of abnormal amyloid deposits in the body. Amyloid deposits can build up in the heart, brain, kidneys, spleen and other parts of the body. A person may have amyloidosis in one organ or several.
John Hopkins Medicine (https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/amyloidosis)
Diagnostic Tests for Amyloidosis:
*1. First your doctor would do a thorough medical exam with blood/urine tests searching for clues of high protein where it shouldn’t belong or certain liver or thyroid abnormal findings. The MD will follow with further diagnostic tooling especially if these findings show up in blood/urine tests. Common blood exams used are BNP (basic natriuretic peptide). BNP is a substance secreted from the ventricles or lower chambers of the heart in response to stress and changes in pressure that occur when heart failure develops and worsens. The level of BNP in the blood increases when heart failure symptoms worsen, and decreases when heart failure condition is stable. It is not so much elevated over the norm but more with this disease patients the MD will see where the BNP level was at last visit & compare.
Another blood test is troponin and this gets released into the bloodstream when your heart is affected by amyloids.
*2. Second your MD may want to further diagnose for this disease through getting a tissue biopsy where the MD’s intent is to check for signs indicating this is highly possible for amyloidosis. The biopsy could be taken from your abdominal fat, bone marrow, or an organ such as your liver or kidney. Tissue analysis can help determine the type of amyloid deposit.
*3. Imaging Tests. Images taken of the organs that are affected by amloidosis can help the MD establish the intensity or stage your disease is at. There are 2 most commonly imaging tests used and can diagnose the disease early. There is the echocardiogram test, sound wave imaging of the heart, that will be used to assess the size and functioning capability level of the heart. Another test is a MRI of the heart (magnetic residence imaging). Other imaging tests can evaluate the extent of amyloidosis in the liver or spleen.
When the heart chambers become filled with amyloids it thickens the walls of those chambers especially the lower chambers which can be picked up by the echocardiogram through the different angles of sound waves that go via the heart during this exam. Another thing that can be measured through the echocardiogram is your diagnostic function; that represents a measure of how stiff your heart is and how well is your heart actually functioning.
Another technique that can be used is strain imaging. This is also done through echocardiogram. This tells the doctor in more detail how much the muscle fibers in the heart are actually shortening and contracting. It measures certain parts of the heart in actually contracting and function. This is actually better in help diagnosing compared to just looking at ejection fraction, which is the amount of blood pumped out of the left ventricle chamber upon contraction of the heart (When he hear lub dub of the heart with a stethoscope that is the heart actually contracting. First the upper chamber on lub is contracting and on dub is the lower chambers contracting). This test is a specializing test and is not widely used but it is available in certain hospitals.
Ending line amyloidosis is a group of diseases in which one or more organ systems in the body accumulate abnormal proteins known as amyloid. The name amyloidosis was first used more than 150 years ago, but cases were described over 300 years ago. However, only in the past ¼ of a century have MD’s understood the specific make up and structure of amyloid proteins. Although amyloidosis is not a cancer but it is a serious condition. It is disabilitating and gets to life threatening. However, growing aware- ness of the condition seems to be leading to substantial new research and Rx alternatives.
There’s no cure unfortunately for amyloidosis. But treatments can help you manage your symptoms and limit the production of amyloid protein.
Treatment is usually aimed at eliminating the source of the abnormal precursor protein.
Primary amyloidosis (AL, amyloid light chain) is associated with a clonal plasma cell disease and the immunoglobulin light chains made by the abnormal plasma cells. AL also occurs in amyloidosis associated with multiple myeloma. Treatment involves chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation to eliminate the plasma cells (the source of the abnormal light chains).
Familial amyloidosis (AF) is associated with a genetic abnormality that can be inherited. AF causes the liver to make an abnormal form of a protein called transthyretin. The treatment for AF is liver transplantation.
Secondary amyloidosis (AA) is associated with inflammation and elevated levels of serum amyloid A caused by inflammation. Treatment involves elimination of the source of inflammation.
Through “The Amyloidosis Foundation” they provide over the world medical facilities/hospitals that major in this disease .
“Healthcare providers call amyloidosis a “protein misfolding disorder. Healthcare providers typically diagnose amyloidosis in people ages 50 to 65. The diseases affect more men and people assigned male at birth than women and people assigned female at birth. Healthcare providers may do several different tests, but ultimately, they use bone marrow aspiration and bone marrow biopsy to identify the mutated protein causing specific amyloidosis types. MD’s do other tests also. Healthcare providers treat amyloidosis by treating symptoms and organ damage and by treating the underlying cause.”.
Cleveland Clinic (https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/23398-amyloidosis)
Amyloidosis (am-uh-loi-DO-sis) is a rare disease that occurs when a substance called amyloid builds up in your organs. Amyloid is an abnormal protein that is usually produced in your bone marrow and can be deposited in any tissue or organ.
The cause of primary amyloidosis is unknown. The condition is related to abnormal and excess production of antibodies by a type of immune cell called plasma cells. Clumps of abnormal proteins build up in certain organs. This reduces their ability to work correctly.
Symptoms depend on the organs affected. Amyloidosis frequently affects the heart, kidneys, liver, spleen, nervous system and digestive tract. Severe amyloidosis can lead to life-threatening organ failure. This disease can affect the tongue, intestines, skeletal and smooth muscles, nerves, skin, ligaments, heart, liver, spleen, and kidneys. Skin changes, such as thickening or easy bruising, and purplish patches around the eyes, difficulty swallowing,
Symptoms include: enlarged tongue, difficulty swallowing, feeling full quickly when eating, and significant weight loss, diarrhea possibly with blood or constipation, abnormal heart rhythm, fatigue, numbness of hands or feet, shortness of breath, hoarseness or changing voice, swelling of your ankles and legs and joint pain.
Amyloid is produced in your bone marrow and can be deposited in any tissue or organ affecting the tissue and organs like stated previously. The specific cause of this condition depends on the type of amyloidosis present.
Unfortunately, there are many different types of amyloidosis. Here are the types:
– Immunoglobulin light chain (AL) amyloidosis. This is the most common type, can affect your heart, kidneys, skin, nerves and liver. It was previously known as primary amyloidosis. It occurs when your bone marrow produces abnormal antibodies that can’t be broken down. The antibodies are deposited in your tissues as amyloid, interfering with normal function. Most people diagnosed with AL amyloidosis, the most common type, are age 50 or older, although earlier onset can occur. This is hard in preventing this disease from occurring. Nearly 70 percent of people with AL amyloidosis are men.
– AA amyloidosis, mostly affects your kidneys but occasionally your digestive tract, liver or heart. It was previously known as secondary amyloidosis. It occurs along with chronic infectious or inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease. One way to prevent this is through good health to prevent chronic infections, possibly rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel disease.
– Hereditary (familial) amyloidosis, is an inherited disorder that often affects the liver, nerves, heart and kidneys. One type is caused by a certain amyloid (transthyretin amyloid) that can affect the nervous system or the heart. This is hereditary and unlikely to prevent but see your MD regularly to be checked for it every 6 months or yearly. See what your MD suggests if you know this is in your family. African-Americans have a greater risk of this type than do Caucasians. It is thought to be a significant cause of heart failure in African-American men.
– Dialysis-related amyloidosis, develops when proteins in blood are deposited in joints and tendons which end up causing pain, stiffness and fluid in the joints, as well as carpal tunnel syndrome. This type generally affects people on long-term dialysis. Dialysis can’t always remove large proteins from the blood. If you’re on dialysis, abnormal proteins can build up in your blood and eventually be deposited in tissue. The good news regarding this type of amyloidosis is this condition is less common with modern dialysis techniques.
IN THE END WHAT THIS CONDITION LEAVES AS AN FINAL RESULT TO INTEFERE WITH NORMAL FUNCTION OF TISSUES/ORGANS IN THE HUMAN BODY:
1.) Amyloid can harm the kidneys’ filtering system=our toileting system of the human body which takes toxics out of the bloodstream dumping them into the urinary bladder that our body voids out of the body through urinating. If this organ, the kidneys are affected, this ends up causing protein to leak from your blood into your urine. The kidneys’ ability to remove waste products from your body is lowered, which may eventually lead to kidney failure (if 100% failure occurs now hemodialysis starts causing the amyloidosis to be at risk for just getting worse, see above dialysis-related amyloidosis).
2.) Amyloid can harm the nervous system, which affects our electrical system of the human body. You may experience pain, numbness or tingling of the fingers or numbness, lack of feeling or a burning sensation in your toes or the soles of your feet. If amyloid affects the nerves that control your bowel function, you may experience periods of alternating constipation and diarrhea. Sometimes amyloidosis affects nerves that control blood pressure, and you may experience dizziness or near fainting when standing too quickly, as a result of a drop in your blood pressure due to orthostatic hypotension occurring secondary to the nerves affecting the B/P.
3.) Amyloid if it affects the engine of the human body it will cause reduction of that organ’s function being the heart. It causes your heart’s ability to fill with blood between heartbeats. Less blood is filled up in each chamber of the heart at the normal level an this causes the heart to pump out less cardiac output with each beat, especially the left ventricle of the heart that pumps out oxygenated blood throughout the body. This causes less oxygenated blood to our tissues and like plumbing when the pipes (in this case the arteries with veins) cause back up in the running of blood which go back to the lungs first (does not take long) all the way down to the feet (this takes time). This in the end can make you experience shortness of breath due to fluid build up in the lungs. If amyloidosis affects your heart’s electrical system, your heart rhythm may be disturbed. This can put you into arrhythmias the longer you don’t take care of the situation the worse the rhythm will get.
You may go to your general practitioner first depending on your insurance coverage but if it is questionable or your GP thinks it amyloidosis you should be referred to a doctor who specializes in blood disorders (hematologist). Be prepared with questions already written out at home when you see your doctor so you don’t walk out of the office knocking your head saying “I forgot to ask him…”. That could be from signs and symptoms, causes, risk factors, tests, treatments/medications, etc…
