SKIN CANCER
Skin cancer! It kills!!! It is the most common of all cancer types. Thousands of people die each year because of skin cancer. Read on to find out more about how to recognize and prevent skin cancer.
CAUSES OF SKIN CANCER
Some causes of skin cancer are:
Too much UV radiation- this can happen by too much sun exposure, tanning booths... In fact, if a person uses a tanning booth before age 35, it increases chances of getting melanoma.
Radiation- the kind from elements like uranium
Toxic elements (arsenic, mercury...)
A Vitamin D Deficiency- Vitamin D is essential to the immune system's function, and those with a deficiency of it are at a higher risk of skin cancer because they cannot defend against it properly.
SYMPTOMS OF SKIN CANCER
A new spot on the skin that is changing size, color, or shape is a sign of Melanoma.
A cancerous mole will look different from other moles.
Basal Cell Carcinoma sometimes resembles noncancerous skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma often looks like scaly red patches, open sores, warts or open elevated growths with a central depression; they may crust or bleed.
FACTS ABOUT SKIN CANCER
More than 5.4 million cases of nonmelanoma skin cancer were treated in over 3.3 million people in the U.S. in 2012, the most recent year new statistics were available
More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined.
One in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.
Actinic keratosis is the most common precancer; it affects more than 58 million Americans.
The annual cost of treating skin cancers in the U.S. is estimated at $8.1 billion: about $4.8 billion for nonmelanoma skin cancers and $3.3 billion for melanoma
The diagnosis and treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers in the U.S. increased by 77 percent between 1994 and 2014.
About 90 percent of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer. An estimated 4.3 million cases of BCC are diagnosed in the U.S. each year resulting in more than 3,000 deaths.
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. More than 1 million cases of SCC are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, resulting in more than 15,000 deaths.
Organ transplant patients are approximately 100 times more likely than the general public to develop squamous cell carcinoma.
Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40 percent.
WAYS TO PREVENT SKIN CANCER
Some ways to prevent skin cancer are:
Use sunscreen. It will block harmful UV rays and reduce your chances of skin cancer.
Stay away from toxic materials such as arsenic. It will make you safer.
Cover up. If you wear clothes that cover more skin, such as a long-sleeved shirt instead of a t-shirt, it will reflect away more UV rays.
You can get some sun, but not too much. Low levels of Vitamin D can put you at risk for skin cancer.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
All credit goes to: https://www.cancer.org/research/infographics-gallery/skin-cancer-prevention.html and https://www.skincancer.org/. We have used that information to create this website, as well as our slide show!