Title:Skin Cancer Management: Current Scenario And Future Perspectives
Volume: 18
Issue: 2
Author(s): Mehak Jindal, Malkiet Kaur, Manju Nagpal*, Manjinder Singh, Geeta Aggarwal and Gitika Arora Dhingra
Affiliation:
- Chitkara College of Pharmacy, Chitkara University,
Keywords:
Melanoma, carcinoma, photodynamic therapy, nanoparticles, liposomes, fitzpatrick phototype system.
Abstract: Skin cancer is a life-threatening disease and has caused significant loss to human health
across the globe. Its prevalence has been increasing every year and is one of the common malignancies
in the case of organ transplant recipients, of which 95% constitute basal cell and squamous cell
carcinomas. The prime factor causing skin cancer is UV radiation. Around the 20th century, sunlight
was the primary cause of skin cancer. A novel hypothesis by US scientists stated that cutaneous
melanoma was mainly due to recurrent exposure to the sun, whereas keratinocyte cancer occurred
due to progressive accumulation of sun exposure. Management of skin cancer is done via
various approaches, including cryotherapy, radiotherapy, and photodynamic therapy. Post-discovery
of X-rays, radiotherapy has proven to treat skin cancers to some extent, but the indications are uncertain
since it depends upon the type of tumour and surgical treatment required for the patient. Due
to various limitations of skin cancer treatment and increased severity, there is a requirement for
cost-effective, novel, and efficient treatment. Various nanocarriers such as SLNs, magnetic nanoparticles,
gold nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, etc., are the potential carriers in the management and
prognosis of both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancer. Various research and review databases
and patent reports have been studied, and information compiled to extract the results. The review
also discusses the role of various nanocarriers in treating and diagnosing skin cancer.