What Is Skin Cancer & Melanoma?
Skin cancer is by far the most common type of cancer that is diagnosed in the United States. It begins on the outer layer of skin, called the epidermis, and is usually caused by overexposure or regular exposure to UV light (especially in those with low levels of skin pigment), including sunlight and artificial UV light from tanning devices (i.e. beds and lamps). There are 2 main types of skin cancer:
- Melanoma
- Non-Melanoma
The world’s highest incidence of Melanoma is in Australia and New Zealand (more than twice as high as in North America). This may be due to how close these countries are to the equator, their greatly-reduced ozone layer, and their population of mostly fair-skinned people.
Causes of Skin Cancer
The predominant cause in both types – Melanoma and Non-Melanoma cancers – is excessive or constant exposure to UV light, including sunlight and tanning devices. Below is a list of other contributing risk factors to be aware of, including but not limited to…
Risk Factors:
- Being Male
- Men have a higher risk than women
- Physical Traits
- People with fair skin, freckling, blue or green eyes, blonde or red hair, whose skin reddens, burns or freckles easily are at greater risk
- Radiation or Chemical Exposure
- Increasing Age
- Especially those who have a long or repeated history of sunburns
- Heredity / Family History
- Severe or Long-Term Skin Inflammation
- Certain Types and/or Large Number of Moles
- Weakened Immune System
- Smoking Tobacco
