Skin Cancer Information

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.  The two most common types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—are highly curable.  However, melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous, especially among young people.  Research shows that most skin cancers can be prevented if people are protected from UV light. 

Malignant melanomas are the least common but most serious type of skin cancer, with more than 10,400 new cases diagnosed in 2006.  In 2006 over 81,600 non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC) were registered in the UK but registration is known to be incomplete.  Almost a third (31%) of all cases occur in people aged less than 50 years and in the age-group 15-34 malignant melanoma is the most common cancer (when NMSCs are excluded). 

This is an unusually young age distribution for an adult cancer and emphasises the importance of its prevention and early treatment to avert the potential loss of many years of life.  The Cancer Atlas of the UK and Ireland, which analysed rates at local authority and health board level, showed that male and female melanoma incidence rates have a very similar geographical distribution.  In the UK, the national skin cancer prevention programme, SunSmart, is run by Cancer Research UK and mainly funded by the UK Departments of Health.

Who is at Risk For Skin Cancer and How Do You Get Skin Cancer?

Unfortunately the exact cause of skin cancer is not known at this time, but it is known that the number of reported cases of the disease has been steadily increasing since the 1980's. As with many diseases, there are many risk factors that are shown to be associated with Skin Cancer, such as exposure to UVB, UVA or to the sun, or exposure to different compounds and chemicals can trigger it.

Heredity also plays a part in your risk of getting this disease.For a while now, scientist have been trying to figure out the real reasons that people with Celtic Heritage are more at risk of developing skin cancer from the sun. Really, though, the sun can damage any skin type, and all skin types are susceptible to getting cancer. If you are of Celtic heritage (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) then you should be double careful in the sun.

Of course, you can't do much about genetic diseases or your genes, but you can take obvious steps so that you will not catch skin cancer.

The number one preventiive measure for Skin Cancer? Stay out of the sun. If you have heard it once, you have heard it a thousand times, "cover up" but did you that exposure to the sun is the biggest risk factor for you for developing skin cancer? And with minor precautions, most people will avoid getting skin cancer?

You must make a conscious effort to limit the amount of radiation to which your skin will be exposed to. Your number one priority is th reduce the amount of UV rays that hit your body. and limit all you can the amount of unprotected radiation your skin absorbs
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Of course, you can stay out in the sun if you are protected, A good way to get protection is to Cover up, protect your eyes with good sunglasses, put the highest SPF you can find aon all exposed parts of your skin, and ask your doctor or pharmacist about any drugs you are taking tha could change your resistance to the UV rays.