Cuba develops initiative for the early detection of skin cancer

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 3 (ACN) Cuba is holding today the Day of the Mole, an active national screening campaign aimed at raising awareness among the population about the incidence of skin cancer, increasing the perception of risk and making early diagnosis of malignant lesions.

Dr. Olaine Regla Gray Lovio, coordinator of the Special Working Group on Skin Cancer of the Ministry of Public Health, said that this disease in the country, as in the world, increases its incidence in men and women, and many people with lesions do not go for consultation because they are unaware of the disease.

In an interview with the Cuban News Agency, she explained that since 2011, in honor of World Cancer Day, February 4, this research movement has been carried out, which combines photo-education activities, including photo-protection guidelines (care guidelines against excessive sun exposure).

Skin cancer is increasing in the country at the expense of its three most frequent variants: basal cell carcinoma, cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma, said the head of the Dermatology Department of the Comandante Manuel Fajardo Surgical Clinical University Hospital.
Gray Lovio commented that excessive exposition to the sun also increases the risk of suffering from polymorphous solar eruption, actinic urticaria and chronic actinic dermatitis, and can also aggravate or perpetuate lupus erythematosus and melasma, and cause phototoxic dermatitis, burns and photoaging.

Regarding treatments, the president of the Cuban Society of Dermatology mentioned among them HeberFERON, developed by the Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, which is an option used with good results in the treatment of basal cell carcinoma.
The assistant professor and associate researcher explained that skin cancer presents with lesions of different forms, such as a sore or plaque, pigmented or not, which does not resolve over time; or a mole that changes, becomes asymmetrical, with irregular edges, non-homogeneous color, grows to a diameter greater than six millimeters, evolves, changes, rises, itches or bleeds.

The interviewee expressed that in case of these symptoms, it is necessary to go to the doctor and to prevent them, she recommended that the population should protect themselves from ultraviolet radiation with clothes, hats, sunscreens and sunglasses and frequently perform a skin self-examination.