Causes of Skin Cancers

The most common cause of skin cancers are ultraviolet (UV) rays, either from the sun, or from UV-emitting lamps like those in tanning saloons. Both UV-A and UV-B rays may cause skin cancer.

Other possible causes of skin cancers include:

  • High dose or repeated X-ray exposure (1,2)
  • Exposure to arsenic (pesticides, wood preservatives, miners, sheep shearers, farmers) (1), pitch (from distillation of wood or coal tar), creosote, or radium (5)
  • Therapy that destroys immune cells – chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunosuppression in organ or bone marrow transplantation (2)
  • Smoking increases risk for squamous cell carcinoma (4)

Risk Factors for Developing a Skin Cancer

The possibility of developing a skin cancer increases with the following factors:

  • Fair skin, freckles, blond or red hair, blue or green eyes are at most risk to develop skin cancer (2).  
  • Skin disorders with lack of skin pigment melanin (albinism, xeroderma pigmentosum) (2)
  • Tanning poorly (1)
  • Several, unusual, or big moles at birth (2)
  • New or changing mole (5)
  • Persons with close relatives who had skin cancer (2)
  • Previous skin cancer (2)
  • Severe sunburn, especially if early in life (2)
  • Scars (2)
  • Actinic keratosis (1)
  • HIV infection increases risk for Kaposis’s sarkoma (3)
  • Constant exposure to UV rays: high altitude, regions close to equator, and regions with impaired ozone layer in atmosphere (Australia) (1)
  • Repeated sun exposure (outdoor workers, sailors, farmers, drivers) (1)
  • White race, men, age after 50 (6

Further reading:

Types of Skin Cancers (Pictures Included)
Skin Cancer Treatment

References:

  1. Skin cancer causes and risk factors  (rush.edu)
  2. Skin cancer causes and risk factors  ( emedicinehealth.com)
  3. Skin cancer causes and risk factors  (umm.edu)
  4. Smoking increases risk for squamous cell carcinoma  (cancer.org)
  5. Radium increases risk of skin carcinoma  (cancer.org)
  6. White men after 50 have increased risk for skin cancer  (skincancer.org)

Further Reading :
  • Types of Skin Cancer – Pictures and Treatment
  • Skin Cancer Prevention: Avoiding Sun, Self-Examination
  • Skin Cancer Treatment: Surgery, Radiotherapy, Chemotherapy
  • Your moisturizer may carry a cancer risk
  • Use of cell phone as a cause of cancer