It's not a skin disease, but a "signal of cancer"? Abnormal skin may indicate cancer

Itch receptors are distributed in spots on the skin, similar to pain nerves. Once the superficial nerve endings or unmyelinated nerve nets in the skin are stimulated, they become excited and transmit signals to the brain, producing an itch sensation.

So why is skin itching related to tumors?

Because some tumors release inflammatory factors and itching mediators, these substances can irritate the skin and cause itching. Data show that about 20-25% of gynecological cancer patients, 50% of gastric cancer patients, and 12-26% of lymphoma patients will have varying degrees of systemic itching symptoms before diagnosis.

The itching symptoms caused by tumors have these characteristics:

1. There is no change on the skin surface and no primary skin disease can be found.

2. The itching sensation appears suddenly and lasts for a long time.

3. Antipruritic drugs cannot provide relief.

If your skin is itchy, be alert to 4 possible cancers:

1. Brain tumor

When there is a tumor in the brain, it will cause problems in the central nervous system, which will then cause abnormal sensations in parts outside the brain. Unexplained itching will often occur, among which unexplained itching in the nasal cavity is the most common.

If you experience an unexplained itching in your nose, and examination shows no lesions in the nasal cavity itself, you should suspect a problem with the brain; especially if it is accompanied by tinnitus, visual impairment, vomiting, etc., you should pay more attention.

2. Skin malignancies

Such as skin cancer, melanoma, etc., manifested as abnormalities in a certain part of the skin, such as the original mole suddenly becoming larger, accompanied by obvious itching

3. Hepatobiliary and pancreatic malignancies

Including liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, bile duct cancer, etc., the disease will cause an increase in bilirubin spreading into the blood, causing severe skin itching symptoms, jaundice and yellowing of the skin.

4. Rectal and Anal Canal Cancer

The main symptom is itching of the perianal skin. After excluding lesions such as perianal skin eczema and hemorrhoids, if the itching of the perianal skin is accompanied by a feeling of heaviness in the anus and rectum, you need to be highly vigilant whether it is caused by cancer.

2 types of skin rashes may be a sign of cancer

In addition to abnormal itching on the skin, which may be a sign of cancer, these two symptoms also need to be vigilant.

1. Shingles

Shingles is caused by infection with the varicella-zoster virus and is more common in people with low immunity. Data show that 12.1% of patients with shingles have concurrent gastric cancer, intestinal cancer, esophageal cancer, etc. Shingles often appear in patches and have tearing, burning, and needle-like pain.

2. Dermatomyositis

Dermatomyositis is a rheumatic autoimmune disease characterized by abnormal rashes around the eyes, hand joints, and chest. The itching sensation in the affected area is generally not strong, but there will be desquamation, limb weakness, and muscle pain. Data show that 30% of dermatomyositis patients will have concurrent cancers such as lung cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, and gastric cancer.

Anti-itch skin care, these points are very important

Skin itching is a very annoying symptom. How can we relieve itching?

The first step is to quickly poke the itchy area with the tips of five fingers together;

The second step is to apply cold water to the affected area.

The third step is to choose to apply ice cubes wrapped in a towel to the affected area.

In daily life, you need to pay attention to skin cleansing, and change and wash underwear and bedding frequently; pay attention to skin moisturizing, and try to maintain the indoor air humidity. If your skin feels dry, you can apply lotion after taking a bath; in terms of diet, you should pay attention to limiting the intake of high-oil, high-sugar, high-salt and spicy foods, and focus on light foods.