Bowens Disease Life Expectancy

Bowens Disease when left untreated transforms into skin cancer. At its early stages, the disease is easily curable and the signs are easy to detect. Among signs you should observe is red scaly patches on the skin. This is an abnormal growth, which occurs in the squamous cells (the outer layer of your skin). In some cases, the disease spreads along the surface of the skin, but the growth rate is usually slow and can take many years before any changes are noted.

Rarely (3% - 5% of patients) does Bowens Disease invade inner layers of the skin to form serious cancer. This only occurs if the disease is not diagnosed and treated in time or is neglected. Therefore, it is advisable to go for diagnoses especially when strange patches are noted on the skins as this could affect your life expectancy.

Parts of the skin affected

There are no specific parts that can be affected by Bowens Disease, so it can appear anywhere on your skin, especially on the arms and legs. In most cases, it will be found on the lower parts of the legs of elderly women.

It can also affect the genital area of men, specifically the penis, but this is only in rare cases. This Bowens Disease is referred to as bowenoid papulosis. The life expectancy score of men who suffer bowenoid papulosis is highly affected and unless the disease is treated in time, it could spread further to bring about health complications.

Common symptoms

The disease appears in the form of a reddened scaly patch, which could have a diameter of 1 - 3 centimetres. Depending on its stage, it may be itchy or not. The affected area of the skin can also be sore and red and sometimes could bleed. Bowenoid papulosis shows up in form of a brown patch on the groin region.

Who it can affect

Research indicates that women are the most affected by the disease than men, and is usually common in people aged between 70 and 80 years. One of the reasons people get the disease is excessive exposure to the sun, especially individuals who have a fair skin. Other statistics show that people who take drugs to suppress the immune system as well as those who had just undergone organ transplant are likely to also suffer from Bowens Disease. This combined with other conditions could offer a great threat to the life expectancy of the patients.

What are the causes?

The real cause of the disease is still unknown. The disease cannot be passed from one generation to another because it does not run in families. Most cases are triggered by long exposure to the sun and those with fair skin stand higher chances of developing it. However, this is not to mean it cannot develop on other areas not exposed to the sun. In fact, it affects men in the groin area (often linked to human papillomavirus, which causes genital warts). Some professionals have also linked the development of the disease to constant exposure to radiotherapy.

How is it treated?

There are several treatment options that one can embrace to cure Bowens Disease. The treatment option your dermatologist will recommend depend on the location of the patch, size and thickness. The professional will also consider how your skin could respond during the healing process.

Treatment options:

• Cryotherapy: This method uses liquid nitrogen, which is sprayed on the affected part of the skin. This is purposely done to freeze it because the procedure is sometimes painful and uncomfortable for the patient for several days. The patch may blister and after some few days it will scab then fall off, something that removes the affected skin.
• Liquimod cream: This solution is used on the skin for a period of time and may cause the skin to get inflamed. After the recommended period of use, the skin will get better and the patient may heal completely depending on responsiveness to the treatment.
• Curettage and cautery: Using local anaesthetic and heat, the region affected is scrapped off. Heat or electricity is necessary as it helps to put to stop bleeding, which allows the area to heal afterwards.
• Surgery: When this is recommended, the affected skin is cut out and the area stitched back. Note this is not the most ideal option, and is only used when the condition dictates it is the only way the disease can be treated.

Skin care afterwards

After receiving treatment the dermatologist may recommend several follow-up appointments to ascertain whether there is need for further treatment. If all the instructions are followed, you will secure your life expectancy by staying healthy and strong.