| The following are the main causes. | | | | as mouth and lung cancers, the tobacco used in |
| 1. Ultra-violet rays from the sun - the two | | | | cigarettes etc could be a cause to developing skin |
| associated with skin cancer are UVA (ultra-violet | | | | cancer too. |
| A) and UVB (ultra-violet B) rays. UVB rays are | | | | 5. Radiation Exposure - there are concerns that |
| the shorter-wave solar rays and are more unlikely | | | | radiation therapy that some children undergo for |
| to cause skin reddening and sunburn. UVA rays, | | | | other cancer treatments may increase the risk of |
| however, would have more permanent damages | | | | developing a non-melanoma skin cancer. Also, |
| to the skin as they penetrate much deeper to | | | | people working with X-rays, including medical, |
| the skin. Latest studies show that UVA not only | | | | nursing and radiographic personnel are subject to |
| increases UVB's cancer-causing effects, but may | | | | higher risks. |
| also directly cause skin diseases including | | | | 6. Skin Condition and Geography - certain skin |
| melanomas. | | | | conditions can increase a person's risk of |
| 2. Family History - recent research confirms that | | | | developing skin cancer. For instance, people with |
| the risk of melanoma is more than double in | | | | light to fair skin living in tropical or subtropical |
| people with a family history of skin cancer. | | | | climates, such as the American Southwest, |
| Though having someone in the family with that | | | | equatorial Africa, Hawaii, and Australia, generally |
| history does not necessarily mean that you will | | | | have very high incidences of skin cancer. Serious |
| get it too, it certainly warrants some extra | | | | injuries to the skin, if not healed in time, could |
| attention because of the higher risk factor. | | | | raise the chance for non-melanoma skin cancer. |
| 3. Chemical Exposure - some chemicals might | | | | Likewise for scars from very bad burns. |
| cause harm when they come into contact with | | | | 7. Weak Immune System - the immune system |
| your skin. Insecticides, for instance, often contain | | | | is part of the body's defense against bacteria and |
| substances like arsenic that are dangerous to the | | | | cancerous formations. When the immune system |
| skin. They can increase the risk of non-melanoma | | | | is strong, the antibodies and immune cells are |
| skin cancer. Nevertheless, people working in | | | | better able to do their job in neutralizing the free |
| environments in regular contact with chemicals | | | | radicals and getting rid of the harmful elements |
| and industrial materials (such as petroleum | | | | from the body. Conversely, a weak immune |
| derivatives, arsenicals, and coal tar) are more | | | | system would open up a lot of possibilities as |
| likely to develop some type of skin cancer. | | | | cancerous cells could spread out fast and divide in |
| 4. Smoking -- whilst it is common knowledge that | | | | ways that are hard to predict. |
| smoking is linked to other types of cancer such | | | | Read more... |