Who are the people most prone to getting skin cancer?
“We all live in fear of cancer, but to be told you have skin cancer was terrifying.” – Stephanie Beckham
CANCER, well you all might have seen someone or the other close to you or around you suffering from cancer right? And that might have terrified you because of how dangerous that disease can be. CANCER, although just a six letter word, has a lot of negative impact on the minds of the people, because of the fact that one can hardly see anyone getting recovered from cancer and living a happy life, because what most of the times we see is cancer leading to the death of our loved ones. Thus, one can see that a lot of awareness has been rising against cancer, it’s symptoms, types and treatment so that people don’t have to lose their loved ones to a deadly disease yet again.
And like clearly stated in the quote mentioned above that we all live in the fear of cancer and how it affects our lifestyle, how it snatches away our loved one within the blink of an eye but getting to know that you have skin cancer is or can be really terrifying based on the fact it is something that our whole body is covered with, the longest organ of our body and so on. So, when one gets to know that they suffering from skin cancer, it can be pretty nerve-wracking.
But this also brings us to the point where we should be aware about things related to it like what is skin cancer, types, where it usually takes place and who are the most prone of getting skin cancer. So let’s quickly dive down into it and learn as much as possible.
What is Skin Cancer?
Skin Cancer is nothing but the abnormal growth of the skin cells and most often develops on the skin that is most exposed in the sunlight. But that doesn’t mean that one can be affected by skin cancer on the areas not exposed to the sun. There are three main types of Skin Cancer and they are as follows:
· Basal cell carcinoma,
· Squamous cell carcinoma and
· Melanoma
And they have got their names from the different layers of the skin, meaning the layer of the skin where the cancer cells grow or develop.
Where Skin Cancer develops?
Skin cancer develops essentially on areas of the skin that is exposed to the sun, including the scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms and hands, and on the legs in women. But it can also form on areas that rarely see the light of day —one’s palms, beneath their fingernails or toenails, and their genital area.
Skin cancer affects people of all skin types, including those with darker skin. If melanoma occurs in people with dark skin, it is more likely to occur in sun-exposed areas, such as the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet.
Where Does Skin Cancer Begin?
Most skin cancers start in the upper layer of the skin, called the epidermis. There are 3 main types of cells in the epidermis:
· Squamous cells: Squamous cells are flat cells in the upper (outer) part of the epidermis, which always break down as they form new ones. When these cells grow out of control, they can develop into squamous cell carcinoma (also called squamous cell carcinoma).
· Basal cells: Basal cells are found beneath the epidermis, called the basal cell layer. These cells constantly divide to form a new cell and replace the aging squamous cells on the surface of the skin. As these cells grow in the epidermis, they flatten, thus becoming squamous cells. Skin cancer that starts in the basal cell layer is called basal cell cancer or basal cell carcinomas.
· Melanocytes: Melanocytes cells form a brown pigment called melanin, which causes the skin to darken or turn brown. Melanin acts as a natural sunscreen for the body, protecting the deeper layers of the skin from some of the harmful effects of the sun. Melanoma skin cancer starts in these cells.
Now, that we know the basics about skin cancer let’s also see that who are the people who are most or more prone to getting skin cancer and also if possible to learn about the reason why those certain people are more of getting skin cancer than others.
And there is a series of things that need to consider while we look into the list of people who are more to get skin cancer and they are as follows:
1. General conditions:
· Age: The risk of skin cancer increases as you grow older, which may be due to exposure to UV radiation. But skin cancer can also be found in young people who spend a lot of time in the sun. Frequent sun exposure, especially in childhood, increases the risk of developing melanoma.
· Immune Deficiency: Conditions that weaken the immune system, such as viruses, infections or antidepressant treatments associated with organ transplants, may increase the risk of skin cancer.
· Gender: Men are twice as likely to have basal cell carcinoma and are three times more likely to have squamous cell carcinoma than women.
2. The body:
· Skin tone: Caucasians are at greater risk of developing skin cancer than non-Caucasians. The risk is also higher for people with white or red hair, blue or green eyes, or hot or spotted skin.
· Moles: Most moles are harmless and will not grow into cancer, but having a large number of moles may increase the risk of developing melanoma. The presence of dysplastic nevi (moles may resemble melanoma) may increase the risk, by 10 percent. Although most dysplastic nevi will not develop into melanoma, a small percentage may, and people with these types of moles should see a dermatologist regularly for full skin tests.
3. Inheritance:
· Family and / or personal history: People with one or more parents or siblings with skin cancer may be at increased risk. People who have been diagnosed with skin cancer in the past are also at greater risk of developing the disease.
· Genetic Conditions: Conditions such as xerodermatic pigmentosum, a genetic disorder that affects the ability of the skin to repair UV damage, are at greater risk of developing skin cancer, and they may develop in childhood.
4. Lifestyle
· Smoking: Smokers are more likely to develop skin cancer with squamous cells, especially the lips.
· Chemical exposure: Certain chemicals, including arsenic, industrial tar, coal, paraffin and certain types of oil, may increase the risk of certain types of skin cancer other than melanoma.
· UV Exposure: People who work outdoors during the day or who choose to spend most of their time relaxing outside and being exposed to UV light are at greater risk. People who choose to use bedding increase their risk of developing skin cancer.
Thus, the above mentioned factors could be reasons why people are affected by skin cancer and if you as an individual fall under any of these circumstances then I might aware you that you are on the higher risk of getting od skin cancer, although this also doesn’t mean that just because you fall under any of these categories will definitely get skin cancer, nope in fact it can be the exact opposite of it as well. What is important is to stay healthy and follow a healthy lifestyle in order to be safe.
Ref: Skin cancer - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Top Skin Cancer Causes & Factors That Put You at Risk | CTCA (cancercenter.com)