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Like all cancers, skin cancer is caused when the cells are exposed to some external environmental condition. This causes the cells, or more specifically the genes in the cell to mutate and become known as a oncogene. An oncogene promotes tumor growth.
If these cells are not destroyed by the immune system they will develop into cancerous growths. You can be exposed to UV rays in many ways but the most common way is by exposure to the Sun.
However, some people can be exposed to sunlight more than others and never appear to develop skin cancers. It seems that some people are more sensitive to the ultraviolet radiation than others (although too much exposure to the sun will result in skin cancer for most people eventually). This is true and is based on the amount of melanin in the body. Melanin is the body’s natural defense against the sun. It turns the skin brown as a way prevent it from burning. This is the tan that many people cultivate.
People with pale skin, fair or red hair and light colored eyes have less melanin than people with darker complexions. They are more sensitive to the sun. Their skin will most likely burn than go grown in the sun. Sunburned skin is painful but it is also an indication that your skin has been exposed to too much UV rays. Prolonged exposure to the sun or constant sunburn will facilitate the development of skin cancer.
Even if you do not fit this genetic makeup, you are still susceptible to skin cancer if your family has a history of developing the disease.
The effects of skin cancer depend on the type and length of time that it has been developing. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of the disease. It is normally benign, in that it does not spread from the original source. It looks like a blemish on the skin that could be brown or red in color.
Squamous cell carcinoma is also normally found on the body that is directly exposed to sunlight. It does not always spread but is more likely to spread than basal cell carcinoma. If it does spread it will be to surrounding skin cells. This will often give you the impression that the initial blemish or lesion on the skin is getting bigger. This is a sure sign of squamous cell carcinoma.
Melanoma is the rarest but most serious form of skin cancer that can develop. Unlike the other two, it can occur anywhere on the body, including areas that may not get much exposure to sunlight. For instance, the feet may develop a melanoma. It normally looks like a brown or red mark but as it develops it may become a lump under the skin. It may also look like a mole on the surface of the skin that changes color and starts to get bigger.
A Melanoma can be malignant, meaning that they will continue to grow in a random fashion at an uncontrolled rate. This becomes a problem when the melanoma becomes invasive. This means it will interfere with surrounding tissues and organs to the extent that it destroys them or stops them functioning properly.
Depending on where the cancer spreads or metastasizes this can be extremely hard to treat and potentially life threatening.
Limiting your exposure to sunlight and other forms of ultraviolet radiation is the best preventative care you can take. Getting your skin checked out from time to time by your doctor is also a good idea. This is especially good advice if you notice any new or unusual moles or spots on your skin. Or if these lesions appear to have changed in any way.
