Introduction
The cutaneous membrane primarily consists of the outermost protective layer of the body found in human beings. The skin forms the majority of this membrane that rests on top of other connective tissues. It further belongs to the epithelial types of tissues that form an impermeable barrier throughout the body (Weller et al., 2015). More so, the skin functions as a regulator, point of sensation, and protection barrier in human anatomy. As a regulator, the skin maintains the body temperature through the use of sweat glands and hair follicles that adjust accordingly to ensure optimum operations. It also uses its extensive network of nerve cells that detect changes in the external environment and relays these signals to the brain for further action, thus complementing the sensation function. Apart from that, the skin protects internal body structures from any exterior impacts such as temperature variations, toxic substances, and microorganisms (Weller et al., 2015). Therefore, the functions of the skin make it one of the essential membranes of the body, which, once affected by cancer, can lead to the degradation of the concerned individual’s health.
As one of the largest organs of the body, the skin covers approximately 15% of an adult’s body weight. It contains two primary layers, which include the dermis and epidermis (Weller et al., 2015). The epidermis forms the outside layer comprising of keratinocytes that produce keratin that further constitute the composition of the cells under this layer. It also includes melanocytes that determine an individual’s skin color based on the production of melanin. Apart from that, the dermis section forms a thicker part of the skin under the epidermis. It primarily contains collagen, which forms part of the connective tissues that hold the skin together. Furthermore, it also has specialized cells such as blood vessels, nerves, and sweat glands that complement skin structure and functions (Weller et al., 2015). Therefore, the dermis and epidermis form the most critical aspects of the skin, providing a base for the functioning of sweat glands, blood vessels, and other essential activities.
Cancer Affecting the Skin
Melanoma represents a type of cancer that affects the melanocytes based in the epidermis section of the skin. It mainly occurs due to overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, mostly in people with lighter skin color. However, this type of cancer can also spread to areas such as the soles of the feet that do not necessarily receive high levels of UV light (Ward & Farma, 2017). Melanoma presents itself in patients as patches of lesions on the skin with irregular color, sizes, and shapes.
On a histological level, melanoma causes changes in melanocytes that begin to transform and grow exponentially, leading to the development of a tumor. The melanoma begins to develop radially across the epidermis in early stages but can evolve to vertical growth, thus affecting the dermis, which can cause it to metastasize. Once malignant, such tumors can spread across different parts of the body. On the other hand, the gross level of development involves melanoma that can develop from moles or lesions on the skin. The changing shapes of a mole with rugged and uneven borders causing asymmetry may point to the development of cancer (Ward & Farma, 2017). Additionally, an evolving mole that fluctuates in appearance over time, leading to experiences of bleeding, itchiness, or oozing of substances, also shows the presence of cancer.
Genetic changes also contribute to the development of melanoma on the skin with factors such as UV light affecting DNA in the body. Oncogenes and tumor suppression genes determine the growth, development, and destruction of genes in individuals (Ward & Farma, 2017). Therefore, DNA mutations that prevent the work of tumor suppression genes in destroying unwanted genes may lead to the uncontrolled progression of cells. Such changes acquired due to exposure damage the ability of the cells to thrive and divide, thus leading to the development of cancerous cells.
Therapies to Treat Melanoma
With over half of the cases of melanoma showing a mutation in the BRAF protein, targeted therapy can try to stop such changes in the cells. BRAF inhibitors target the protein directly to slow down its growth or shrink the tumor into manageable sizes (Olszanski, 2014). This helps patients who experience melanoma spread extensively that other intervention procedures cannot remove. Apart from that, melanoma caused by changes in the C-KIT gene, mostly found in insoles, palms, and mucosal areas, also requires targeted drug treatments (Olszanski, 2014). These thus form part of the most susceptible group of proteins in the skin mostly affected by melanoma in the human body.
Apart from that, immunotherapy helps the body to recognize cancerous cells better, thus increasing its effectiveness in destroying them. Melanoma cells can hijack the immune system checkpoints, thus hiding, reducing the body’s ability to detect them. By blocking proteins such as PD-1, PD-L1, and CTLA-4, the body’s immune system reacts better against melanoma cells, preventing them from further spreading across the body (Olszanski, 2014). Immunotherapy, therefore, restores normal functioning responses enabling the identification of cancerous cells, triggering immune responses.
Differences in Body Responses
The immune system bears responsibility for detecting problems in the body and initiating solutions to prevent infections and diseases. Cancer cells mainly affect the body’s immunity by affecting its ability to defend itself from different forms of internal attacks properly (Ward & Farma, 2017). Since cancer mostly evolves from an individual’s cells, the immune systems can fail to recognize and mount an attack preventing their spread. Furthermore, these cells can also disrupt the functioning of the system that prevents it from attacking cancerous cells. With such limited immune responses, the body quickly becomes overwhelmed hence prone to further infections that deteriorate the individual’s health.
On the other hand, tissue injuries cause an inflammatory response by the damaged cells. The immune system increases blood flow to the affected area, thus providing white blood cells necessary for repair. The white blood cells consume any foreign matter and dead cells, thus preventing any form of infection. Furthermore, lymphocytes, including T cells and B cells, coordinate rapid targeted responses and produce antibodies respectively (Weller et al., 2015). Once the irritation subsides, the body can return to its normal state, but in cases where a problem lacks a resolution, the optimum functioning of the affected part becomes hindered.
Conclusion
The skin represents the cutaneous membrane responsible for the protection of the human body. The role of the skin primarily lies in creating a barrier from external bodies and substances, providing sensations, and regulating the temperature. It comprises two major parts, namely the epidermis and dermis, with the epidermis forming the outer protective layer while the dermis contains the connective tissues holding it together. Melanoma affects the skin through melanocytes located in the epidermis causing cancerous tumors. Exposure to dangerous UV rays mainly causes the development of melanoma that can infect any part of the skin, which can further metastasize to other parts of the body. Immunotherapy and targeted therapy can treat this type of cancer by targeting specific cells in the body that cause its spread and growth. Therefore, while tissue injuries initiate an immune response aimed at destroying foreign bodies and repairing damaged cells, cancer cells disrupt the immune system preventing it from working optimally.
References
Olszanski, A. J. (2014). Current and future roles of targeted therapy and immunotherapy in advanced melanoma. Journal of Managed Care Pharmacy, 20(4), 346-356.
Ward, W. H., & Farma, J. M. (2017). Cutaneous melanoma: etiology and therapy. Codon Publications.
Weller, R. B., Hunter, H. J., & Mann, M. W. (2015). Clinical dermatology. John Wiley and Sons.