
How common is Skin Cancer in Canada?
Skin Cancer is the commonest type of Cancer in Canada. Each year, about 80,000 new cases of Skin Cancer are diagnosed in Canada. Of these patients, 5000 are diagnosed as Melanoma.
The majority of cases of skin cancer are caused by Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure
How Ultraviolet Radiations cause skin cancer?
First of all, almost 99% of None-Melanoma skin cancers and 95% of Melanomas are caused by ultraviolet radiation exposure. There are two types of ultraviolet radiations that cause the skin cancer Ultraviolet A and Ultraviolet B. Both of them can cause Skin Cancer. Ultraviolet A penetrates deeply in the skin causing damage to the infrastructure of the skin with marked disruption of the vascularity and immunity of the skin. Ultraviolet B penetrates the superficial layers of the skin causing burns and damage to the outside skin layer which results in changes leading to cancer.
How to protect yourself from the Ultraviolet Rays?
There are many steps I advise everyone to do to avoid the Ultraviolet rays even in the winter season. Wear long sleeves, and high collar shirts and pants to cover most of your body parts and avoid direct exposure to the Ultraviolet Rays. Use Sunscreens before going to the Sunny areas, and repeat every 20 minutes to maintain its effects. Last but not least, try sitting or standing in shady areas with low Sun exposure.
How to Treat Skin Cancer?
Surgery is the main treatment for the skin cancer. Sometimes, Radiation Therapy or Chemotherapy is needed in certain situations. Your Oncologist will tell you if you need further treatment or no.
Does Naturopathic Medicine Help patients with the Skin Cancer?
The answer to this question is YES, So how can this be achieved? Naturopathic Medical Care supports your skin health, improve the Nutrition and the Immunity of the skin. Even when patients are diagnosed with the skin cancer, Naturopathic Medicine support their health by prescribing certain vitamins and minerals that help your body fight the skin cancer and improve your immune system such as a sufficient amounts of vitamin A and D. Also, in Melanoma the use of the Mistletoe or Iscador as a form of Immunotherapy has shown positive results in many patients who had surgery to prevent the recurrence of the disease. In one study, Mistletoe was very successful in the eradication of liver metastases in a patient with stage 4 advanced Melanoma and this research was published in the Journal of the Alternative and Complementary Medicine https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2007.6175
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