Лечение рака кожи в Израиле

Skin cancer is one of the most common malignant diseases. Treatment of skin cancer  in Israel includes the removal of a local tumor and therapeutic measures aimed at eliminating metastases and preventing relapse; for this purpose, the Herzliya Medical Center private clinic uses advanced chemo- and radiotherapy techniques, as well as biological and photodynamic therapy.

Skin cancer classification

Skin cancer is characterized by atypical changes in the normal cells of the epidermis — the upper layer of the skin — and their abnormal growth.
Depending on the histological type, there are several types of skin cancer:

• Squamous cell carcinoma. The tumor is formed from squamous epithelial cells;
• Basalioma, or basal cell carcinoma. The neoplasm develops from basal cells lying in the deep layer of the epidermis;
• Melanoma. The source of the tumor is melanocytes — cells containing the natural pigment melanin.

Rarer forms of skin cancer include: Kaposi’s sarcoma, Merkel cell carcinoma, and sebaceous gland cancer. Treatment of skin cancer in Israel is planned based on the histological type of tumor and stage of the disease.

Risk factors

The main risk factor for skin cancer is ultraviolet radiation — one of the components of sunlight — causing DNA mutations in epidermal cells.

The likelihood of illness is increased in those whose professional activities require a permanent stay in the sun: athletes, rescuers, construction workers, etc. Also at risk are people with fair skin, easily getting sunburn, people with a large number of nevi (moles) on the body, and visitors to tanning salons.

Other risk factors include:

• Living in highlands or regions with a large number of sunny days per year;
• Cases of skin cancer among family members;
• Contact with ionizing radiation or with chemical carcinogens;
• Past skin cancer;
• Immunodeficiency;
• Past sunburns;
• A history of precancerous conditions, such as actinic keratosis.

Symptoms of Skin Cancer

External signs of melanoma:

Sometimes melanoma forms on the surface of the mucous membranes, for example, in the vagina, rectum, oral or nasal cavity.

Skin Cancer Diagnosis

A preliminary diagnosis is made on the basis of examination of the skin. If a suspicious neoplasm is found during the examination, a biopsy must be performed: examine the tissue sample for the presence of atypical cells and make a conclusion about the histological type of the tumor.

Treatment of skin cancer in Israel is prescribed depending on the stage of the disease: the size of the tumor, the degree of its infiltration into surrounding tissues and the presence of metastases in distant organs. Basal cell carcinoma rarely extends beyond the epidermis, and tumor biopsies are usually sufficient to diagnose its stage. To establish the stage of melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma, a number of diagnostic tests are performed: computed tomography, bone scintigraphy, etc.

Skin cancer treatment

1. Surgical treatment — Most cases of skin cancer are treated surgically. Excision (removal) of the tumor can be performed as part of a biopsy or as a separate procedure. The surgeon removes the tumor and the surrounding soft tissue fields. When lymph nodes are involved in the process, their resection is performed.
2. Cryodestruction  — As an alternative to surgical intervention for small superficial tumors at an early stage, they can be destroyed with liquid nitrogen.
3. Mos operation  — Large or recurring cancers are excised according to the Mos method: as part of a layered excision under microscopic control. The Moss technique allows you to radically remove a cancerous tumor, but at the same time maintain the maximum volume of adjacent healthy tissues.
4. Curettage  — Curettage, electrocoagulation. After excision of basal cell carcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma, the surgeon can perform mechanical scraping (curettage) of the surface of the surgical wound, its cauterization (coagulation) or cryodestruction. Thus, it is possible to destroy the residual cancer cells located in the deeper layer of the skin.
5. Chemotherapy for malignant skin tumors  — Systemic chemotherapy is prescribed in the presence of metastasis. Local chemotherapy consists in applying cytostatic drugs directly to the tumor.
6. Biological therapy for skin cancer  — Biological therapy is aimed at stimulating the immune system, which is able to identify and destroy cancer cells.

The incidence of skin cancer remains high, and over the past decades there has been no tendency to decrease it. At the same time, specialists at the Herzliya Medical Center private clinic own the most advanced methods for diagnosing and  treating cancer in Israel . They have at their disposal ultra-modern equipment and effective medications that can achieve the radical destruction of a malignant tumor and prevent the development of a relapse of the disease.

• Basal cell carcinoma . The tumor is often localized in open areas: face, neck, scalp. A basalioma may look like a smooth grayish-pink nodule on the surface of the skin or as a flat pink ulcer;
• Squamous cell carcinoma. The most characteristic places of localization of squamous cell carcinoma are the face, auricles, hands. In people with a dark skin color, squamous cell carcinoma can also form in closed areas of the body. The tumor has the appearance of a dense red nodule or flat ulcer, covered with a crust or skin scales;
• Melanoma . A tumor can form on the basis of an existing nevus that has undergone malignancy (malignant degeneration), or from melanocytes located on any part of the skin. In men, melanoma is more often localized on the face or torso, in women — on the lower extremities. In people with dark skin color, melanoma can develop on the palms, fingertips, under the nails.