All About Skin Cancer

Skin affects many around the world and kids are not immune to the threat posed by the disease. Kids like many other things are very much susceptible to the disease just as we all are. The best thing to do with kids is to teach them properly the value and importance of protecting one’s skin early on. Kids can log on to the web page by the Nemour’s foundation where a section on their page Kid’s Health deals with skin and the workings of the said organs. It also teaches them early on how to protect their skin and what to do in emergencies along with many other health topics for kinds.

That’s a life insurance question that’s easy to quantify in numbers. At age 57 if I wanted $500,000 of 20 year term insurance and I qualified for the best rate class, preferred plus, I could expect to pay $1840 annually, about $161 a month. If for some reason I was qualified for the second best rate class, a preferred risk instead, the price would be $2160 a year, $189 a month.

So, we know there is a little more than $6000 at risk over the 20 year term depending on the rate class, so what is it that makes you preferred plus or preferred? For that let’s use a pretty middle of the road underwriting guide from North American Life.

For tobacco users, specifically those who smoke cigarettes, to qualify for preferred plus you have to have been a non smoker and not used any tobacco or nicotine products in the last 5 years. For preferred rates that period would be reduced to 3 years. So, if someone purchased life insurance after being a non smoker for 3 years, it would be worth shopping and possibly either replacing that policy when you get to 5 years or, if the company policy allows it, getting a rate reconsideration after you reach that 5 year mark.

Family history is a big factor. Generally companies want to know about your immediate family, mother, father and siblings and whether there has been any occurrence of or death from cardiovascular issues or coronary artery disease, or cancer. For preferred plus most companies require that there have not been any occurrences (even if they survived) prior to age 60. For preferred most companies drop siblings from the guideline and deaths prior to 60 are the benchmark rather than occurrences.

Blood pressure and cholesterol are two very common reasons for rate increases from preferred plus to preferred. For most companies, even if well controlled, being treated for blood pressure is enough to bump you one rate class. If not being treated there are thresholds that need to be met on the exam and with some companies also for the last two years in your medical records. An example would be for preferred plus they want an average of no more than 135/85. For preferred it would be higher, say 140/85.

Again, please keep in mind that these are North American Life guidelines and are middle of the road. Some companies are more liberal and some more conservative. It’s up to your agent to find the company that best fits your situation.

For cholesterol companies generally look at total cholesterol and the cholesterol ratio (total cholesterol/HDL). For preferred plus North American wants to see a total of no more than 220 with a ratio of no more than 4.5. For preferred the total can be 230 with a ratio of 5.5.

Other than the two minor forms of skin cancer, basal cell and squamous cell, any history of cancer will likely preclude preferred plus or preferred rates. The same is true of heart disease or cerebrovascular disease and diabetes. Any history of alcohol treatment would preclude preferred plus rates, while preferred rates would be considered after you are 10 years out from treatment.

Your driving record can affect your rate class with preferred plus requiring no more than one moving violation in the past three years and two violations being allowed for preferred. Airline pilots can qualify for preferred plus rates with full aviation coverage while private pilots would generally be eligible for preferred rates. The private pilot could qualify for preferred plus rates (with North American) but would have to accept an aviation exclusion rider.

There are obviously a lot more criteria or guidelines, but I’ll finish with build, your height and weight. North American is one of the few companies that differentiates between sexes in all rate classes. A lot of companies will have separate weights for men and women in the preferred plus rate class only and a lot of companies simply use a unisex chart, allowing the same build for men and women.

With North American for preferred plus a man 5’6 and 173# or a woman 5’6 and 161# would qualify. For preferred rates a man would need to be 179# and a woman would be 167#.

Bottom line. This is just a snapshot of the little things underwriters take into account when deciding if they are going to allow their best rate class for your policy.

There are over one million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed every year in the United States, representing about half of all cancers diagnosed in the country. And skin cancer on a dramatic increase. There are twice as many skin cancers in our population today as there were 20 years ago. Given this rate of increase, chances are about 50/50 that you will develop at least one skin cancer lesion if you live to age 70. This is especially true if you are fair-skinned. While skin cancer can occur in people of all races, those with lighter skin have a much higher risk because their skin contains less of the pigment melanin, which helps protect against an overdose of the sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays, which can lead to skin cancer over time. The effect is apparently cumulative. A body of evidence also suggests that this also applies if you decide to go the “fake bake” route of the tanning salons.

Thankfully, most skin cancers, about 95 percent, are not life threatening. Skin cancer falls into two broad areas: basal-cell cancer / sqamous-cell cancer, and melanoma. The two most common of these cancers are the basal-cell and sqamous-cell carcinomas. These typically are easily treated, usually with surgery, and rarely lead to death. If neglected, however, over time, these can eventually lead to disfigurement and/or can spread with dire consequences. Only about 5 percent of all skin cancers are malignant melanomas, but these are far more dangerous and account for almost all deaths due to skin cancer. This aggressive form of cancer needs to be addressed immediately. Like most cancers, the risk of malignant melanomas will increase with age. If you feel you have developed any type of skin cancer be sure to see a dermatologist at once.

Most skin cancers, as one might imagine, occur on the face, neck and hands as these are the areas that receive the most exposure to the sun due to the fact that most of us wear clothes. These are also the areas that are most exposed to the view of others. As the usual AMA’s (American Medical Association) approach to skin cancer is knife and needle, this can leave unsightly scars just where you might not want any.

But there are alternatives. Having had a number of non-melanoma skin cancers, I’ve had the opportunity to try both the AMA (have the scars to prove it) as well as several “alternative” approaches. The method of treatment that I’ve settled on is the herb Chaparral. Chaparral is a plant that grows in the deserts of the southwestern U.S. and has been used historically by the indigenous populations of the region for a number of ailments. Today, it can be found in powder form at most health food stores. A small bag is all one needs and only cost a few bucks.

I make a paste by mixing the powder with wheat germ oil (also found at your local health food store) and apply it directly to the lesion. Then I cover it with a Band-Aid. I do this once in the morning (after my shower) and again in the evening for six or seven days- carefully removing the old paste with a Q-tip. The advantages I have found are as follows: No pain. Perhaps a slight tingling at first. As chaparral only targets the cancerous cells, without affecting the surrounding normal tissue, my skin can quickly begin to repair itself naturally after the cancer is gone leaving usually just a “new skin” pink spot for several months. And all this at a fraction of the cost of a surgical procedure.

If this all seems a bit strange to you, please understand that this is nothing new. There are a number of books that have been written that offer other non-evasive, less painful methods of treating basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers as well. I would recommend the book, The Skin Cancer Answer: The Natural Treatment for Basal and Sqamos-Cell Carcinomas and Keratoses. This book is priced right, easy to read and provides you with what many might feel is a better method of treatment. But check around- and see what work best for you, knowing that many others have taken the non-AMA approach. In any event, use a dermatologist to diagnose what type of skin condition you might have, discuss it with him, but know that there may be cost effective, alternatives to the knife and needle.

Remaining in sunlight for too long doesn’t cause cancer, yes but it can be one of the reasons in some of the cases. If there is heredity of skin cancer in your family, then there are possibilities that you may become a victim of it. However if you consider turmeric and skin cancer, you might find it very appealing to see how turmeric aids in prevention of cancer. Turmeric is a natural agent and don’t have any side effects in the skin.

It is one of the most common types of cancer which is occurring in present day world, but we are unaware that it is also a simple cancer to treat with. The persons who are diagnosed with skin cancer should start taking turmeric supplements for slowing down the spread of skin cancer.

You cannot even imagine that how exposed and defenseless you body becomes when you are on chemotherapy treatments. By taking turmeric supplements, you are on safer side as it will help you to enhance natural immunity. Along with this turmeric also enables you to stop the cancer and infection. It was found in researches that turmeric aids to stop the spreading of cancerous cells and doctors can work on rest of the cancer.

Turmeric is found to contain 4-5% of curcumin in its dried root form. A researcher also stated that curcumin, the active component of turmeric is found to inhibit the formation of enzymes responsible for cancer in the rodents.

Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric is basically an antioxidant. As we all know that antioxidant scavenges free radicals thereby protecting our body from the ill effects of them. In the laboratory tests it was found that curcumin interferes with many of the molecular pathways involved in the development, growth and spread of cancer.

In 2003, almost 50,000 people were afflicted with skin cancer in the United States alone. Of those, about 8,000 dies as a result of the said disease. So it has caught the attention of health experts from around the world and many countries have taken steps to slow this statistic if not totally prevent the said disease from rising. Many people have the said disease have it till it is too late and that nothing can be done to halt the spread and cure the said disease. Many fail to recognize the warning signs and other factors that contribute to this health risk that they merely do not know enough. Thanks to people from the Skin Cancer Foundation, CDC, National Cancer Institute and many others, information is now within easy reach through their respective web sites for anyone who is seeking information.

Scientists have identified the protein which is responsible for the development of a mole into a tumor or for the skin feature to remain, well simply a mole. Skin melanoma’s have the skin’s pigment producing cells running amok causing one of the deadliest forms of cancer in the world that is responsible for many deaths globally. The identified human skin protein BRAF is part of the body’s cell growth and proliferation system. Both Nevi’s (another technical name for a mole and melanoma’s) all share the same distinct traits with respect to the way the protein causes them to remain benign or turn into a skin melanoma.

There are billions of dollars being spent on the various types of skin cancers out in the world that kills millions every year. This is a common case of economics and the need to earn money where pharmaceutical firms pour money into research that would be most profitable for their business. Many sufferers are crying foul saying all types and forms should get equal financing and that all types of diseases should be treated as humanely as possible. Such is the case of one of the previous posts regarding a very rare form of skin cancer Merkel Cell Carcinoma, which had the loved one who was left behind selling the guitar of his fallen husband on eBay to provide funding into the research for the said rare cancer. This has raised and touched many who express support and are starting to cry out to governments and businesses (drug manufacturers) to pay more attention to deemed “non-profitable” studies to alleviate the pain and suffering of the thousands who are diagnosed with the said disease.

Study into the treatment and cause of a very rare type of skin cancer called Merkel Cell Carcinoma is not going as fast as it should and many are dying due to this. This form of skin cancer is very hard to diagnose, leaving even well seasoned dermatologists to let it go as a simple bump from an insect bite. That bump, once it forms is already sign of the advanced progression of the disease and is so painful that people die within 3 years of the appearance of the first bump. The non-diagnosis, even misdiagnosis of this form of cancer is a classic case of not enough funding going into research to try to understand it better and to develop effective treatments. To date, no quantitative studies have been done on the rare form (the rarity of the condition may be preventing much interest in it) of skin cancer that has such a high mortality rate and very fast progression that only the loved ones of people who have suffered and experienced it voice interest.

Just recently, scientists have discovered that skin cancers such as mucosal and acral melanomas are brought about by a number of DNA abnormalities that happens in a gene called the KIT gene. Scientists say that if they can figure the mutation out, there is a great possibility of creating cures for it as well.

Melanoma is usually found in the skin, and in some cases in the eye and bowel. As of today it is known to be the most serious type of skin Cancer,Acral melanomas are usually found sprouting on the hands (palms), the feet (soles), and under the nails. Mucosal melanomas on the other hand grow in the in the mucous membranes in some internal organs of the body.

There is a finding that the disease modifying drug Methotrexate (MTX), may be carcinogenic.

Methotraxate is usually administered to people with rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic inflammatory disease which affects 1 percent of adults worldwide. Rheumatoid arthritis often leads to disability and eventually a diminished quality of life, it can also cause an early death as one who acquires it is more to developing cancer.

MTX is believed to be carcinogenic because of numerous reports about patients getting lymphoma after being treated by MTX. And the surprising thing is, tumors disappeared when the patients stopped taking the drug.
However, as of this moment studies about Methitrexate have yet to have a conclusion.