Written by: Ansley Phan
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, with millions of people treated every year. There are a few factors that increase the risk of skin cancer. Here are a few of them:
Tanning bed usage
It is well known that ultraviolet (UV) radiation contributes to the damage of cell DNA, which increases the risk for uncontrolled mitosis of skin cells with various mutations (cancer). Tanning beds emit large amounts of cell-damaging UV radiation, contributing to skin cancer risk. In fact, tanning beds often radiate more UV than the sun itself.
Research has shown that those who have ever indoor tanned have an 83% increase in their risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer). Additionally, people who first use a tanning bed before the age of 35 increase their risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by over 75%.
High frequency of sunburns
The incident of one blistering sunburn under the age of 18 more than doubles a person’s risk for developing melanoma. Sunburns are a sign of skin damage as a result of UV radiation; essentially, sunburns are radiation burns to the skin. Sunburns are a leading cause of skin cancer. Those who experience blistering sunburns just once every two years more than triple their risk for melanoma compared to those who do not burn at all.
Blonde or red hair
Those with lighter natural hair colors are at an increased risk for developing skin cancer, primarily because of the lack of melanin associated with these hair colors, the compound which absorbs and scatters some UV radiation before it can cause skin damage.
Those with red hair have an even greater risk of developing skin cancer than blondes. This is in part due to the fact that redheads carry mutations of the MC1R genes.
Blue or green eyes
Similar to having blonde or red hair, having blue or green eyes is a skin cancer risk factor. A longitudinal study on men with brown, green, and blue eyes found that men with green, blue, or even hazel eyes had an increased risk for squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, the two most common forms of skin cancer. However, no significant association was found with an increased risk for melanoma.
Sex
Biological sex is another common indicator of an increased risk for skin cancer. Men on average are more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), “By age 50, men are also more likely than women to develop melanoma. This number jumps by age 65, making men 2 times as likely as women of the same age to get melanoma. By age 80, men are 3 times more likely than women in that age group to develop melanoma.” The reason why is primarily due to the fact that men typically spend more time working outdoors compared to women and that men do not as commonly use sunscreen-containing makeup and cosmetic products that women often wear.
It’s important to understand some of these risk factors to address your own skin cancer risk. However, this list does not encapsulate every risk. Others include, but are not limited to, a family risk for skin cancer, race, and having certain types and a specific number of moles.
Sources:
Image Source: Benefit Funds
The American Academy of Dermatology. “Melanoma strikes men harder.” American Academy of Dermatology, N.D., https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/types/common/melanoma/men-50#. Accessed 12 November 2022.
Li, Yueyao, and Wen-Qing Li. “Eye color and the risk of skin cancer.” PubMed, 2022,https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34687387/. Accessed 12 November 2022.
Office of the Surgeon General. “Skin Cancer: Quick Facts from the Surgeon General.” HHS.gov, N.D., https://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/reports-and-publications/skin-cancer/fact-sheet/index.html. Accessed 12 November 2022.
Schulman, Joshua M., and David E. Fisher. “Indoor UV tanning and skin cancer: health risks and opportunities.” NCBI, 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2913608/. Accessed 13 November 2022.
Wu, Shaowei, and Eunyoung Cho. “History of Severe Sunburn and Risk of Skin Cancer Among Women and Men in 2 Prospective Cohort Studies.” NCBI, 3 April 2016, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4851991/. Accessed 13 November 2022.
Wulf, HC. “Eye and hair colour, skin type and constitutive skin pigmentation as risk factors for basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous malignant melanoma. A Danish case-control study.” PubMed, 1999, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10086866/. Accessed 13 November 2022.
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