Skin Cancer

Question: What causes skin cancer and what are the effects? Well, I am 13, and I have gotten two severe sunburns this past month. My mom said they were pretty bad, and they can cause skin cancer in the future. Is this really true? If not what are the real causes of skin cancer? What are the effects?

Answer: Skin Cancer Causes Ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, most commonly from sunlight, is overwhelmingly the most frequent cause of skin cancer. Other important causes of skin cancer include the following: * Use of tanning booths * Immunosuppression—impairment of the immune system, which protects the body from foreign entities, such as germs or substances that cause an allergic reaction. This may occur as a consequence of some diseases or can be due to medications prescribed to combat autoimmune diseases or prevent organ transplant rejection. * Exposure to unusually high levels of x-rays * Contact with certain chemicals—arsenic (miners, sheep shearers, and farmers), hydrocarbons in tar, oils, and soot (may cause squamous cell carcinoma) Regarding your mother's comment, people who had at least one severe sunburn early in life have a greater risk of developing skin cancer. Mom is right! Treatment for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma is straightforward. Usually, surgical removal of the lesion is adequate. Malignant melanoma, however, may require several treatment methods, including surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

Question: How many skin cancer cases are in diffrent countries? Hello, We have to do an oral presentation in Health Education about skin cancer. I need to know the skin cancer cases in -Australia -Unites States -Spain to make a diagram. Please help me if you know that. Thank you.

Answer: Ok, couldn't find any from Spain. The first link below... WARNING! EXTRAPOLATED STATISTICS ONLY! Not based on data sources from individual countries. These statistics are calculated extrapolations of various prevalence or incidence rates against the populations of a particular country or region. http://www.wrongdiagnosis.com/s/skin_cancer/stats-country.htm ...gives some idea. Cancer in Australia An estimated 111,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia in 2009. 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer before the age of 85. http://www.cancer.org.au/cancersmartlifestyle/SunSmart/Skincancerfactsandfigures.htm Estimated new cases and deaths from skin (nonmelanoma) cancer in the United States in 2009: New cases: more than 1,000,000Deaths: less than 1,000 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/skin Estimated new cases and deaths from melanoma in the United States in 2009: New cases: 68,720 Deaths: 8,650 http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/melanoma

Question: How does skin cancer start out looking like? Lately I have had little bumps not huge but like almost skin scab looking things (not scabs though). And I am in the sun doing activities a lot and I was wondering if it almost seems like it can or be a possibility of skin cancer? I'm not sure.

Answer: I think that whatever you have, you should consult the dermatologist right away. I used to work in a medical show and we featured this young guy who initially had skin cancer. Now, half of his face is gone just because he thought that what he had was a new mole. It started just like a simple dot--really like a mole-- but it started growing and becoming a wound. The thing is, cancer--not just skin cancer-- manifests in several ways. That same guy first thought he had skin cancer but actually, the doctors found out later that it was muscle cancer.

Question: How high are my chances of getting skin cancer? Yesterday I was at the pool with my friend, and she told me I have high chances of getting skin cancer. I have blond hair, blue eyes, very pale skin, I get burned easily, lots of moles and beauty marks, and I actually have a family history of cancer. She said these all made my chances higher of getting skin cancer. If so, should I use more sunscreen? What SPF? How can I help prevent skin cancer but still go outside regularly? Thanks for all of your help!

Answer: There are simple things you can do to try and protect yourself from skin cancer. 1) Wear a hat when you know you'll be outside for longer than half an hour. It doesn't have to be a full blown sun hat, a baseball or newsboy hat will do. 2) If you know that you'll at the beach or the pool, make sure you apply SPF 50 sunscreen. 3) The suns UV rays are strongest the hours between 11am and 4pm. 4) Remember, concrete sand and water can reflect the suns rays, so even if you are just going to the park you can put on a little bit of sunscreen. 5) If you were make up ever day, they make foundations with SPF 15 in them. 6) Wear chap stick or put in on under any other lip products(Lip gloss, lip stick) because chap stick normally has SPF 5 in it. 7) Don't go sun tanning or to tanning salons, because these both will increase your chances of radiation.

Question: How likely is it to get skin cancer from occasionally rationed out tanning? I'm naturally on the light side, but I'd like to maintain a light tan complexion. I'm planning on booking occasional tanning sessions until I achieve my desired color and only returning maybe once or twice a month to maintain color. Is once a month tanning likely to make me develop skin cancer? I'm not going to go all 'super dark' 'spent the summer in miami' crazy, I just want a touch of color to me, is the possibility of skin cancer still highly likely?

Answer: tanning beds are not the best thing for you but there are a lot of dangers out there and we can't avoid them all. Natural is always better though. Get out in the sun once in awhile for a natural sun kissed look. I use a tanning lotion called booty butter and it is amazing. Best part is that it is all natural and that it soaks into your skin instead of sitting on top. You can also use any SPF you want with it to block out the really harmful rays.

Question: Can skin cancer appear on areas not exposed? I have a dr appointment made but have a question since the appointment is a little bit away. Can skin cancer appear on areas of the body that are never exposed to the sun? I'm assuming skin cancer is like any other cancer and, if left untreated, will continue spreading to other areas of the body. Correct?

Answer: My dermatologist has asserted that a basal cell carcenoma on my back was caused by sunlight exposure, even though the area was rarely exposed to sunlight. However, I understand that cancers can develop by any cell division mistake, regardless of the initial cause. According to my dermatologist, if untreated, a slow moving cell carcenoma will likely grow and spread to other areas that may lead to serious problems later. A skin melanoma is very quick to spread and should be dealt with quickly. By the way, there are some credible peer reviewed studies that associate the rapid growth of tumors with excess animal protein consumption. Check out Google Books and read excepts from "The China Study" by Dr. T. Colin Campbell. Very credible studies, show that cancer growth can be turned on or off by regulating the consumption of animal protein (casein) in laboratory rats. At 20% of calories consumed animal protein continues the growth of cancers. At 5% of calories consumed, the cancers stop growing. This has led me to eat almost exclusively a plant based diet.

Question: How do you detect skin cancer in a cat? Can cats get skin cancer? Because I think my cat may be developing it. He has this one spot on his back that is especially dandruffy, and it is dry and the fur is getting thinner, and whenever you touch right there he starts licking his chest, and basicly freaking out. I love my cat dearly and want to help him. He isn't allowed out doors, but i have no clue what he has. He is overweight, but most of his fur is soft and beautiful except for the one spot He weighs around 18 pounds and is 6 years old, going on 7. PLease help me i love my cat. He is the best pet i have ever had. I treat him like he is my son I highly doubt my parents will believe me. Do you think I'm stupid? I would ask a cet if I could *vet is what i meant to say MY cat is not allowed out doors...he has dark fur.

Answer: Go to a vet

Question: What kind of harsh chemicals may cause skin cancer? I use to work at Good Tire Rubber Company making 'belts' for commerical use. I was a mixer and used alot of harsh chemicals. I now have Basal Cell Cancer, which is typically caused by the sun. I am more interested in could the chemicals that we would use at Goodyear be the cause of my skin cancer?

Answer: Chemicals Contact with a number of different chemicals can increase your risk of non-melanoma skin cancer. These are Coal tar Soot Pitch Asphalt Creosote Paraffin wax Petroleum products Arsenic Check out this website for other sources:

Question: How long does it take for skin cancer to develop? I use to go tanning my senior year of high school, I'd say i went every other day for 2 months. But I will never go back to a tanning bed again because of my fear of developing skin cancer. Is it possible that I might already have it? Doesn't it sneak up on you later?

Answer: Tanning booths increase your risk of getting skin cancer but the best defense is early detection. Learn to watch for the signs such as changing moles, or white skin blotches.

Question: What are the first signs of skin cancer? I can get sunburned pretty easily. I've already gotten sunburned pretty bad more then once. My mother's worried I'll get skin cancer, so I would like to know what are signs of skin cancer.

Answer: Extremely dark freckles, dark or pale patches on your skin void of any colour. If you have an area that concerns you please speak with your doctor as they are trained to recognize precancerous skin.

Question: How long before you can detect skin cancer? Recently, I got sunburned really bad on my back and shoulders. I have a couple new flat freckles. How and when can you tell you have skin cancer? And, can you develop skin cancer without seeing anything noticeable?

Answer: There is usually some change in the skin - a mole or even a red area which a friend of mine has just had diagnosed as skin cancer and is using a chemo cream instead of surgery. Any suspicious spots should be reported to a doctor for checking.

Question: Should we have a pale skin is beautiful campaign to tackle skin cancer? The skin cancer epidemic is huge right now.Should the media be focusing on teaching people we don't have to be tanned to be beautiful?Thoughts please! ie.Use Nicole Kidman as an example on pale beauty.

Answer: That's a fantastic idea. Nicole Kidman and Anne Hathaway would be great spokespersons for staying out of the sun. When they do interviews in magazines, both of them emphasize the importance of sun protection. Fake tans are perfectly safe, even though they look really fake. It's the real tans (from the sun or tanning beds) that can cause skin cancer. I don't really think we need a campaign against using fake tanner and looking like an oompa-loompa.

Question: What is the best way to avoid skin cancer while being in the sun? I know sunscreen is a must, what else can be done to protect your body from skin cancer?

Answer: One simple thing you can do (besides always using a good UVA/UVB suntan lotion) is to wear a wide brimmed hat when out in the sun. The edges of your ears are a prime location for the development of skin cancers. Because of the increased blood supply and tissue structure, skin cancers located on the edges of the ear are hard to treat and cure. Cancers located on the edges of the ear also tend to spread inward quickly more quickly than a skin cancer located on the body trunk. Wearing a brimmed hat besides suntan lotion will stop this particular risk factor completely.

Question: What does sunburn have to do with skin cancer? I've heard having a bad sunburn can increase your chances of having skin cancer by so much. How much? Also, other things about sunburn releated to skin cancer. Thanks in advance for your help.

Answer: UV light is energetic enough to bounce electrons away from molecules in your DNA. When that happens, the configuration of the DNA changes and it cannot replicate. Your body does have ways of preventing this, but if it happens enough, it cant keep up and more errors build up and cancer starts appearing from all the errors. Mistakes in DNA=cancer.

Question: Why is tanned skin more important than the risk of Cancer? Why do you think the societal preference for "tan" skin often outweighs the risks of developing skin cancer? Are tanning booths safe, and why is the appeal so strong that people just ignore the warnings?

Answer: Tanning has been popular only since the 1920s. I read somewhere that it began with Coco Chanel, the famous fashion designer and perfume inventor. She went off somewhere, came back with a tan, and suddenly it was high fashion. We know more about it today than we used to. It causes more trouble than just the occasional skin cancer. It causes skin to dry out and wrinkle faster. Still, a tan makes you look healthy and active. I can see the appeal. I think it's possible to minimize the cancer and risk of skin damage if it's done right, not overdone. I think this would be easier in a tanning bed where you can actually control the amount of light your body gets.

Question: What is the best way to prevent me from getting skin cancer? I am very frightened about getting this type of cancer. I am in the sun a lot and don't usually wear sunscreen, where I live it is very hot and the sun is always out really. I do have freckles and I read that it might mean I have a better chance of getting skin cancer. What is the best way to prevent it?

Answer: Either wear sunscreen all the time, wear long sleeved clothes, or just avoid the sun any other way you can. Good luck, but I just love to hang in the sun. I never get burned so it's all good. Some people aren't like that though. I'm sorry.