Skin Cancer
There are many types of skin cancer. The two most common types are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. These are sometimes called nonmelanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is a much less common type of skin cancer.
Cancer begins in cells. Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place. Sometimes, this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. These masses can sometimes be cancerous.
Doctors cannot explain why one person develops skin cancer and another does not. However, skin cancer is not contagious. Research has shown that people with certain risk factors are more likely than others to develop skin cancer. Risk factors for skin cancer include:
- Ultraviolet (UV) radiation: UV radiation comes from the sun, sunlamps, tanning beds, or tanning booths. A person's risk of skin cancer is related to lifetime exposure to UV radiation. Most skin cancer appears after age 50, but the sun damages the skin from an early age.
- UV radiation affects everyone. But people who have fair skin that freckles or burns easily are at greater risk. These people often also have red or blond hair and light-colored eyes. But even people who tan can get skin cancer.
- People who live in areas that get high levels of UV radiation have a higher risk of skin cancer. In the United States, areas in the south (such as Texas and Florida) get more UV radiation than areas in the north (such as Minnesota). Also, people who live in the mountains get high levels of UV radiation. UV radiation is present even in cold weather or on a cloudy day.
- Scars or burns on the skin
- Infection with certain human papillomaviruses (HPVs)
- Exposure to arsenic at work
- Chronic skin inflammation or skin ulcers
- Diseases that make the skin sensitive to the sun, such as xeroderma pigmentosum, albinism, and basal cell nevus syndrome
- Radiation therapy
- Medical conditions or drugs that suppress the immune system
- Personal history of one or more skin cancers
- Family history of skin cancer
- Actinic keratosis: Actinic keratosis is a type of flat, scaly growth on the skin. It is most often found on areas exposed to the sun, especially the face and the backs of the hands. The growths may appear as rough red or brown patches on the skin. They may also appear as cracking or peeling of the lower lip that does not heal. Without treatment, a small number of these scaly growths may turn into squamous cell cancer.
- Bowen's disease: Bowen's disease is a type of scaly or thickened patch on the skin. It may turn into squamous cell skin cancer.
The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect yourself from the sun. For more information on skin cancer, visit: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/skin/. If you think you may be at risk for skin cancer, you should discuss this concern with your doctor.