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:
- A 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 of squamous cell carcinoma (4)
Risk Factors for Developing a Skin Cancer
The possibility of developing a skin cancer increases with the following factors:
- People with 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)
- Close relatives with skin cancer (2)
- Previous skin cancer (2)
- Severe sunburn, especially early in life (2)
- Scars (2)
- Actinic keratosis (1)
- HIV infection - increases risk of Kaposis’s sarkoma (3)
- A constant exposure to the UV rays: a 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)
Related Articles:
References:
- Skin cancer causes and risk factors (rush.edu)
- Skin cancer causes and risk factors ( emedicinehealth.com)
- Skin cancer causes and risk factors (umm.edu)
- Smoking increases risk for squamous cell carcinoma (cancer.org)
- Radium increases risk of skin carcinoma (cancer.org)
- White men after 50 have increased risk for skin cancer (skincancer.org)
Article reviewed by Dr. Greg. Last updated on April 12, 2011
