Skin Cancer Risk Factors and Prevention
The sun may be the source of our planet's life, but it can also wreak havoc on our bodies.
A primary cause of skin cancer is ultraviolet radiation, or UV rays from the sun, sun lamps, and tanning beds. Lifetime UV exposure contributes to the cumulative UV effect on the skin, however skin cancer itself usually appears only in later years, at about age 50 or older. People with fair skin or freckles or who burn easily are at greater risk, as well as people who live in certain geographic areas where UV rays are more common, for instance near beaches or in the mountains.
There are certain risk factors that contribute to the likelihood of getting skin cancer:
• UV radiation
• Scars or burns
• Arsenic exposure
• Chronic skin inflammation or skin ulcers
• Radiation therapy
• Personal history of one or more skin cancers
• Family history of skin cancer
• Suppressed immune system, be wither drugs or illness
• Diseases that make skin sensitive to the sun like xeroderma pigmentosum, albinism, and basal cell nevus syndrome
• Actinic keratosis
• Bowen's disease
• Infection with human papillomaviruses, (HPV), the viruses that cause warts or other abnormal tissue growth or changes to cells
Prevention
The best protection against all forms of skin cancer is simply limiting your sun exposure, especially making an effort to avoid the midday sun and UV rays reflected by sand, water, snow, and ice. UV rays can penetrate clothing, so it's important to wear a broad spectrum sunscreen that filters UVA and UVB rays, with an SPF of 15 or greater.