Fingernail Cancer

CEBU, Philippines - We women, especially, love to cover our nails with colored polish to beautify them. But do you know that it is important to see our nails in its natural beauty because they can tell us something about our state of health - if we are sick?

 Our nails can provide us signs about our overall health condition and could help determine if one has hepatic cirrhosis, diabetes, heart failure, chronic renal failure, iron deficiency anemia, and even nail cancer, to name a few. All we need to know is how to read the signs. For instance, discoloration and other abnormalities in our nails may seem quite normal, but they can actually be clues to a serious medical condition.

Apart from lesions that appear on the face, arms, or legs, our nails, too, can have these marks that need our immediate attention. Sometimes even the slightest sign, which we normally ignore, can actually be warnings of something serious.

Fingernail cancer, or acral lentinginous melanoma, accounts for only 15 percent of skin cancer. It is a rare form of melanoma that occurs under the fingernails and toenails as well as on the soles of the feet and palms of the hands.

If you see light to dark spots under your nails, grooves, changes in nail pigmentation, and other suspicious marks, it is better to right away consult the doctor. Nail thickening and lifting, warts, and red streaks in the nail bed can also be signs of nail cancer. This type of skin cancer has a low survival rate because many people often mistake the common symptoms for nail fungi, injuries or bruises, especially among women who have regular pedicures and manicures.

One famous victim of nail cancer is Bob Marley, the renowned reggae singer, who died from melanoma on his toenail at the age of 36.

Melanoma of the nail usually affects either a thumbnail or a toenail. The term includes, ungula melanoma (which originates under the nail plate), periungual melanoma (which originates from under the nail plate), and subungual melanoma (which originates from the nail matrix).

According to data from www.healthcentral.com, sun exposure may cause permanent damage to the nail's growth center called the matrix, particularly on the pale, half-moon portion of the matrix visible at the base of the nail plate. The website explained that cumulative sun exposure may permanently harm the nail bed and nail folds, or the skin around the cuticle, accelerating their aging process and increasing the risk of skin cancer.

The breastcancer.answers.com shares some common symptoms of nail cancer that we should look into:

Black Spots.

The black spots under the nail are a common symptom of nail cancer. They resemble bruising, but there are subtle differences. Nail cancer spots tend to have uneven edges and are slightly raised under the nail. If it is a bruise under the nail bed, it will remain stationary while nail cancer spots eventually run into the adjoining skin of the toes and fingers.

Brown Lines.

 The cause of brown lines underneath the nail is often an injury, but they are also a potential sign of fingernail cancer. If it's fingernail cancer, it typically starts out as a straight line down the middle of the fingernail. As the cancer spreads, the fingernail and adjoining skin turn brown in color.

 Change in

Pigmentation.   Brown to black pigmentation of the skin and cuticles surrounding the fingernail is a common sign of fingernail cancer. One can see stains if it is cancer while it tends to be black and blue in color if it is a bruise.

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends the following to help protect the health of your nails:

.               Moisturize nail area daily.

.               If you use nail polish, take                            a break periodically                                         through the year for a total                         of 1 to 3 months.

.               If you get manicures, check                         out the salon to make sure                          the equipment is sterilized.

.               Never cut or push back                                 cuticles.

The Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc.-Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center advises that the next time you do your self-examination to pay attention to any changes in texture and color of your fingernails and toenails. But do not be frantic when you notice the above-mentioned changes. It is better that you first consult a medical professional to evaluate your symptoms.

(Sources: http://www.healthcentral.com;http://breastcancer.answers.com)