What Causes Skin Cancer

Skin cancer or skin neoplasia is the form of cancer that has gripped millions of people all over the world. Every year one million new cases of skin cancer add to the existing cases. According to a report, more than half of the US population who live over 65 years of age are likely to develop some form of skin cancer at least once in their lifetime. Although, sunburns and UV radiations are highly responsible for causing skin cancers, there are several other factors that also contribute to skin cancer.

Types of Skin Cancer
The change in the appearance of skin and the development of skin moles are the first warning signs of skin cancer. Depending upon its severity and symptoms, skin cancer can be divided into three types.

• Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
• Melanoma

BCC and SCC are the most common forms of skin cancer and are together termed as nonmelanoma. Melanoma, on the other hand is a lethal form of cancer, which spreads throughout the body in later stages.

How is Skin Cancer Caused?
The risk factors vary depending upon the type of cancer, thus the causes of skin cancer also differ for each of these types.

Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC)
About 90% of skin cancer cases in US are of BCC. This cancer initiates as a small dome shaped bump which later is covered by small, superficial blood vessels called telangiectasias. The causes of basal cell carcinoma are as follows:

• Prolonged Sun Exposure: This is the primary cause of BCC. Exposure to sun at irregular intervals, particularly in early life increases the chances of BCC. Likewise, people living in the areas which receive more UV radiation are also prone to developing BCC.
• Age: Skin cancer becomes evident only after 50 years of age. However, the sun exposure during childhood may also be responsible for this.
• Tanning Booths: Ultra-violet radiations in tanning booths are extremely harmful and have a high carcinogenic potential.
• Therapeutic Radiation: Radiation therapy is recommended for treating cancer of other forms. Unfortunately, these radiations are capable of inducing skin cancer in an individual.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC)
Squamous cell carcinoma initiates anywhere in the squamous cells of the tissues on the surface of skin or the lining of the hollow organs of the body or the passages of the respiratory and digestive tracts. The initial stage of SCC is called as actinic (or solar) keratosis. The single most important factor of this type of skin cancer is sun damage. Light skinned people are more susceptible to this form of cancer. Interestingly, women are less likely to develop this cancer. SCC has an ability to metastasize i.e. spread to other parts of the body. Therefore, it is important that SCC is detected in the early stages itself.

Melanoma
Melanoma is the most severe form of skin cancer, which originates in the melanocytes, the cells on the surface of the skin. Occurrence of abnormal number of moles on the body, which are different in texture than the originally present moles on the body, is an indication of melanoma. Although, sunburns and UV radiations are the primary causes of melanoma, a weakened immune system may also aggravate the chances of developing a melanoma. Some drugs and treatments for other disorders weaken the immune system, which becomes a soft target for cancer cells. People with lighter skin tones are at a greater risk of developing melanoma. Those with darker skin tones develop melanoma near the fingernails or on the palms or soles.

Geographic location also plays an important part in determining the occurrence of skin cancer. People living in areas of high altitude, where filtration of UV rays is less, are likely to develop skin cancer. People staying near the equatorial areas are also at risk of developing skin cancer. There are some occupations which require working outdoors for long hours. Besides, having a family history of skin cancer also increases the likelihood of developing skin cancer.

Many people wrongly believe that exposing one's body in the sun for a long time, generates vitamin D. Though, this is true to a certain extent, the time of exposure should never exceed more than 15 minutes and that too for only 2-3 days a week. Over-exposure in the sun is what causes skin cancer in most people, hence it should be avoided in all circumstances. If you must, always cover yourself well before going out in the sun, and thus, prevent skin cancer.