Epithelioma is an
abnormal growth of the
epithelium
Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercellul ...
, which is the layer of tissue that covers the surfaces of organs and other structures of the body.
Classification
Epitheliomas can be
benign growths or
malignant carcinomas. They are classified according to the specific type of epithelial cells that are affected.
The most common epitheliomas are
basal cell carcinoma
Basal-cell carcinoma (BCC), also known as basal-cell cancer, is the most common type of skin cancer. It often appears as a painless raised area of skin, which may be shiny with small blood vessels running over it. It may also present as a raise ...
and
squamous cell carcinoma
Squamous-cell carcinomas (SCCs), also known as epidermoid carcinomas, comprise a number of different types of cancer that begin in squamous cells. These cells form on the surface of the skin, on the lining of hollow organs in the body, and on the ...
(skin cancers).
Treatment
Treatment usually involves
surgically removing the tumor and affected tissue. Also used is
cryosurgery
Cryosurgery is the use of extreme cold in surgery to destroy abnormal or diseased tissue; thus, it is the surgical application of cryoablation. The term comes from the Greek words cryo (κρύο) ("icy cold") and surgery (''cheirourgiki'' – χ ...
and
radiotherapy
Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Rad ...
.
Prognosis
The prognosis varies dramatically, depending on the type and stage at the time of treatment. However, the most common epitheliomas are very easily treated and rarely result in death.
The condition did, however, take the life of Scottish golfer
Willie Dunn, Sr. in 1878 at a time when the ailment was likely not fully understood.
See also
*
Mule spinners' cancer
References
External links
{{Commons category
Glandular and epithelial neoplasia