Causes of Skin Cancer

Understanding the causes of skin cancer is the first step of determining if you have skin cancer. 

• The most common cause of skin cancer is sun exposure. Regardless of skin type, spending too much time in the sun without sunscreen or protective clothing increases the risk of developing skin cancer due to the ultraviolet light.

• Sunburns during childhood are another risk factor of skin cancer. Getting a sunburn, particularly a bad sunburn, damages the skin and leaves the skin without natural protection.

• Tanning beds or getting a tan in the sun is not only going to result in early aging, but it can cause skin cancer in many individuals. 

• Individuals with fair skin or skin cancer in the family are more likely to develop skin cancer than those with darker skin. This is due to having less natural protection from the sun.

• For individuals at risk, radiation can cause skin cancer. 

Things to Look For

Looking for the common signs of skin cancer is a necessary part of cancer screening.

• Look for any moles or nevus on your body. While most moles are harmless, some signs to look for include changes to the color of the mole, changes to the shape of the mole, moles that are not symmetrical, moles with an odd shape or moles that have several colors. In general, moles that are non-melanoma or non-cancerous are round, symmetrical, have the same color throughout and do not change sizes.

• Pay special attention to any growth in moles, birthmarks or raised skin. Growth is a sign of skin cancer, though the type of cancer often dictates how the growth occurs.

• Look for spreading or malignant signs of cancer. The spreading of moles throughout the body is often a sign of malignant skin cancer. If you notice that scaly patches of skin are spreading or that several new moles have appeared on the skin, it might be malignant melanoma.

Screening for Cancer

Upon finding suspicious moles or areas of the body that seem odd, going to the doctor and getting a screening is the next step in determining if you have cancer. Only a doctor can diagnose and test for skin cancer.

• See a dermatologist and point out the areas of the skin that you feel are particularly worrisome. Dermatology deals specifically with the skin, so this is the appropriate doctor to find skin cancer.

• Allow the doctor to take tissue samples of the suspicious areas. Tissue samples are used to determine if you are developing a tumor, whether metastasis or spreading cancer cells have begun and what type of skin cancer is developing. 

• Upon completing the screening, if you have cancer the doctor will diagnose it and begin treatment therapies. The earlier you are diagnosed, the higher your chance of surviving skin cancer.

Conclusion

Protection from skin cancer requires taking the time to care for your skin health. While you cannot change whether you got sunburned as a child, wearing sunscreen and protective clothing will help minimize your risk of developing skin cancer.