What is the main cause of skin cancer?
Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays. To lower your risk of getting skin cancer, you can protect your skin from UV rays from the sun and from artificial sources like tanning beds and sunlamps.
What increases the risk of skin cancer?
Age: Skin cancer risks increase as you age, which is likely due to accumulated exposure to UV radiation. But skin cancers may also be found in younger individuals who spend a lot of time in the sun. Frequent sunburns, especially when they occurred during childhood, increases the risk of developing melanoma.
Is skin cancer only caused by the sun?
Although long-term, unprotected sun exposure is a leading cause of skin cancer, it’s not the only cause. It depends largely on whether a doctor diagnoses a non-melanoma or melanoma type of skin cancer.
What are the impacts of skin cancer?
Fine and coarse wrinkles. Freckles; discolored areas of the skin, called mottled pigmentation; and sallowness, yellow discoloration of the skin. Telangiectasias, the dilation of small blood vessels under the skin. Elastosis, the destruction of the elastic tissue causing lines and wrinkles.
Is skin cancer inherited?
In fair-complexioned individuals worldwide, the majority of melanoma cases are related to environmental factors such as excessive ultraviolet radiation (sun exposure). However, about 5-10% of melanoma cases are inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion.
Has skin cancer increased?
The incidence of both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers has been increasing over the past decades. Currently, between 2 and 3 million non-melanoma skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur globally each year.
What are 5 facts about skin cancer?
Skin Cancer Facts & Statistics
- 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
- More than 2 people die of skin cancer in the U.S. every hour.
- Having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma.
- When detected early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent.
What are four behavioral risk factors for skin cancer?
The majority of existing studies focused on the relationship between skin cancer prevention behaviors and physical activity, body mass index, smoking, and alcohol abuse.
How do I know if a spot is skin cancer?
Redness or new swelling beyond the border of a mole. Color that spreads from the border of a spot into surrounding skin. Itching, pain, or tenderness in an area that doesn’t go away or goes away then comes back. Changes in the surface of a mole: oozing, scaliness, bleeding, or the appearance of a lump or bump.
What age can you get skin cancer?
Age. Most basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas typically appear after age 50. However, in recent years, the number of skin cancers in people age 65 and older has increased dramatically. This may be due to better screening and patient tracking efforts in skin cancer.
How does the Sun cause skin cancer?
Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun. This may be long term exposure, or short periods of intense sun exposure and burning. The ultraviolet light in sunlight damages the DNA in the skin cells. This damage can happen years before a cancer develops.
What increases my risk of skin cancer?
Family history of skin cancer. So people from fair skinned families will be more at risk. But there might also be some other inherited genes that slightly increase the risk of non melanoma skin cancer in some families. You have an increased risk of developing a squamous cell skin cancer (SCC) if one of your parents has had an SCC.
What causes non melanoma skin cancer?
Most non melanoma skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun. This may be long term exposure, or short periods of intense sun exposure and burning. The older you are, the more likely you are to develop non melanoma skin cancer. But skin cancers can develop in younger people too. Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun.
Can skin cancers develop in younger people?
But skin cancers can develop in younger people too. Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun. This may be long term exposure, or short periods of intense sun exposure and burning. The ultraviolet light in sunlight damages the DNA in the skin cells. This damage can happen years before a cancer develops.