What is Skin Cancer

WHAT IS SKIN CANCER

What is Skin Cancer?

As the damaged cells multiply, they form a tumor. Since skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis, the outermost layers of skin, a tumor is usually clearly visible. This makes most skin cancers detectable in the early stages.

Types of Skin Cancer
Three types of skin cancer account for nearly 100% of all diagnosed cases. Skin cancers are divided into one of two classes – nonmelanoma skin cancers and melanoma. Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer.

The different types of skin cancer are:

Basal cell carcinoma (BCC): The most common cancer in humans, BCC develops in more than 1 million people every year in the United States alone. About 80% of all skin cancers are BCC, a cancer that develops in the basal cells – skin cells located in the lowest layer of the epidermis.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): About 16% of diagnosed skin cancers are SCC. SCC tends to develop in fair-skinned middle-aged and elderly people who have had long-term sun exposure.

Melanoma: Accounting for about 4% of all diagnosed skin cancers, melanoma begins in the melanocytes, cells within the epidermis that give skin its color.

Other nonmelanoma skin cancers: All other skin cancers combined account for less than 1% of diagnosed cases. These are classified as nonmelanoma skin cancers and include Merkel cell carcinoma, dermatofibromasarcoma protuberans, Paget’s disease and cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

Causes
Sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, “Many of the more than 1 million skin cancers diagnosed each year could be prevented with protection from the sun’s rays.” Scientists now know that exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays damages DNA in the skin. The body can usually repair this damage before gene mutations occur and cancer develops. When a person’s body cannot repair the damaged DNA, which can occur with cumulative sun exposure, cancer develops.

In some cases, skin cancer is an inherited condition. Between 5% and 10% of melanomas develop in people with a family history of melanoma.

Who Gets Skin Cancer?
Skin cancer develops in people of all colors, from the palest to the darkest. However, skin cancer is most likely to occur in those who have fair skin, light-colored eyes, blonde or red hair, a tendency to burn or freckle when exposed to the sun, and a history of sun exposure. Anyone with a family history of skin cancer also has an increased risk of developing skin cancer. Those with fair skin also can have melanoma develop in these areas.

Skin Cancer Rates Rising
While Americans now recognize that overexposure to the sun is unhealthy, the fact remains that most do not protect their skin from the sun’s harmful rays. As a result, skin cancer is common in the United States.

If current trends continue, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime.

Prevention and Early Detection Key
Sun protection can significantly decrease a person’s risk of developing skin cancer.

Since skin cancer is so prevalent today, dermatologists also recommend that everyone learn how to recognize the signs of skin cancer, use this knowledge to perform regular examinations of their skin, and see a dermatologist annually (more frequently if at high risk) for an exam.

Skin cancer is highly curable with early detection and proper treatment.

What causes skin cancer

Over-exposure to UV radiation from the sun damages the skin, causing it to change colour, burn or even blister.

Every time you expose your skin to the sun you add to your ‘lifetime exposure’ and increase your skin cancer risk. There are three types of skin cancer – basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and melanoma.

When should I protect my skin

UV radiation is the part of sunlight that causes sunburn and skin damage and leads to premature ageing and skin cancer. UVA and UVB are of concern because of their potential to cause skin cancer. Can I feel UV radiation?
UV radiation cannot be seen or felt. UV levels are not related to air temperature – maximum UV levels occur around midday when the sun is directly overhead. High levels of UV radiation also occur on cool days.

Heavy cloud does decrease the amount of UV radiation. Scattered patchy cloud has little or no effect on UV radiation levels.

When is UV radiation most damaging?
UV radiation levels are dangerous for skin when they reach a UV Index level of 3 or above.  UV radiation is strongest during the months that the sun is directly overhead. How is UV measured?
UV radiation levels are divided into low (1–2), moderate (3–5), high (6–7), very high (8–10) and extreme (11 and above).

A UV Index level of 3 is high enough to cause skin damage – so it’s important to protect your skin when the UV radiation level is 3 and above. The higher the UV radiation levels, the less time it takes for skin damage to occur.

The Bureau of Meteorology predicts UV levels with the weather forecast every day and produces the SunSmart UV Alert.

UV Index