Skin cancer is a severe health condition in which your skin cells grow abnormally. The most frequently affected areas of the skin are usually those which tend to be exposed to the sun, but these are not always the areas where skin cancer develops.
There are several effective conventional treatments for this disease, such as chemotherapy and surgery. Integrative cancer therapy has become a popular complement to chemotherapy and helps to lessen its side effects. Let’s talk about how Dr. Catherine Oseni helps to minimize the effects of chemotherapy in the treatment of skin cancer by implementing integrative therapy.
What Is Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer is an out-of-control growth of skin cells in the epidermis. The epidermis is the outermost layer of the skin that acts as the protective coating of our bodies. Excessive exposure to the sun or ultraviolet (UV) radiation increases your risk of developing this health condition.
There are three common types of skin cancer, depending on the skin cells affected – and these types are the following:
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Melanoma
Skin Cancer Symptoms
Skin cancer usually develops on sun-exposed areas, such as your face, chest, and arms. However, it can also form on areas such as your palms, legs, and beneath your fingernails.
Although there are multiple types of skin cancer, the symptoms common to them include the following:
- Waxy bumps
- Flat, brown, scar-like lesion
- Painful and burning wound-like lesion
- Bleeding
- A mole that itches and changes in color
- Irregularly shaped skin formation
Skin Cancer Causes and Risk Factors
Skin cancer is primarily caused by the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays. It develops when DNA mutations develop in the skin cells. When these mutations take place, the cells multiply rapidly and form a mass of cancer cells.
Your chances of developing skin cancer increase due to several risk factors, including the following:
- Excessive sun exposure (regardless of skin color)
- Exposure to radiation
- Fair-toned skin
- Family history of skin cancer
- History of sunburns
- Presence of moles
- Weakened immune system
Integrative Therapy for Skin Cancer Treatment
Integrative therapy is a complementary treatment that can help decrease the adverse side effects of chemotherapy in a cancer client. It can also allow clients’ bodies to heal naturally once they are in remission from the skin cancer.
Integrative therapy is a noninvasive approach that focuses on the overall wellness of the individual. It considers all the side effects experienced by the client and not just an individual symptom.
Natural Way to Lessen the Effects of Chemo
Here at Alpha Care Wellness Center, Dr. Catherine Oseni uses a multiple approach that includes pharmaceutical grade nutraceutical aromatherapy, herbs, and other modalities to minimize or eliminate the symptoms you are experiencing from your chemo treatments. Other components of integrative therapy may include diet and lifestyle modifications that could help to ease your symptoms.
Dr. Oseni, through integrative therapy, will work with your oncologist to address the following common cancer treatment-related side effects:
- Pain
- Anxiety
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bedsores
Integrative Therapy Treatment in Weatherford, Texas
When undergoing chemotherapy to treat your skin cancer, integrative therapy can help reduce and potentially even eliminate the awful side effects that can be caused by chemo. Dr. Oseni will work closely with your doctor to determine which treatment plan would best suit your needs.
We are offering telemedicine visits here at Alpha Care Wellness Center during the pandemic, so Dr. Oseni can meet with you by phone or by teleconference. She is here for you in the Weatherford and Fort Worth area if you have any questions or concerns about skin cancer and our integrative therapy treatments.
If you would like to schedule an appointment, contact us today by calling (817) 550-6332 or fill out our appointment request form online now. We look forward to helping you feel better during and after your cancer treatments so you can enjoy life to the fullest!
