And the White House physician, Kevin O’Connor, announced, on Friday evening, that the tests that were performed on a biopsy taken from Biden last February confirmed that a skin tumor removed from his chest was a basal cell carcinoma.
The doctor also said that there is no need for treatment now, indicating that the biopsy was taken from the president’s chest.
He added, in a letter addressed to the White House spokeswoman, Karen Jean-Pierre, that all cancerous tissues were successfully removed.
Disease details
The “Medicine Web” health website says that basal cell carcinoma is a type of malignant skin tumor that stems from skin cancer.
Basal cells are small cells located inside the skin and their mission is to produce new cells for the skin instead of dead cells.
But the problem begins when cells divide uncontrollably and become a tumor, to the point where it can become malignant, causing serious damage to the skin and nearby tissues.
It is believed that the majority of basal cell carcinoma cases are caused by prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, according to the Mayo Clinic website.
Avoiding sun exposure and using sunscreens are two factors that help protect against this type of cancer, as it usually affects parts of the body exposed to sunlight, especially the head and neck.
This cancer may affect other parts of the body that are less exposed to sunlight, but this is rare.
Symptoms of the disease
- A bleeding open wound that oozes or produces blood and remains open for several weeks.
- A red spot or irritated area that appears frequently on the chest, shoulder, arms, or legs. They develop a boil, and they may itch or hurt.
- A shiny bump or small lump that is bright or translucent and shiny, sometimes pink, red or white.
- Syphilitic tumor with raised, slightly rounded edges, with a bruised cavity in the centre.
- A white, yellow, or milky transparent scar-like area, like: wax, sometimes with blurred edges. The skin itself looks shiny and taut.
risk factors
This cancer is prevalent among the following categories:
- People who spend a lot of time in the sun, especially if they have white skin and blue eyes.
- Adults who were treated for acne with X-rays in their youth.
Complications of basal cell carcinoma
- The possibility of recurrence of the disease after recovery from it.
- Other types of skin cancers.
- The spread of cancer to other regions.
Basal cell carcinoma treatment
Treatment of basal cell carcinoma is relatively easy if it is detected in the early stages, but in 5-10% of cases the tumors resist treatment, and cause damage to the surrounding skin, and in other times the tumor spreads to the bone or cartilage.
The most important methods of treatment:
- surgery.
- Removal of the skin by the method of detection and drying electrophoresis.
- Radiation therapy.
- Cryotherapy.
- Topical treatments.
#Learn #type #cancer #affected #President #Joe #Biden