In this time and age, the most common cancer is skin cancer. It is also one of the cancers which, if treated and diagnosed early, has a high recovery rate. The severity of skin cancer can eventually lead to numerous life-threatening problems. Skin cancer is basically of two types. Skin cancer has been categorized based on the type of cells. The common causes of skin cancer surround these two types of cells. The two types of cells involved are Keratinocyte carcinoma and Melanoma. The common causes of skin cancer caused by Keratinocyte carcinoma are seen in basal and squamous cells.
Skin cells underlying the common causes of skin cancer
These are usually called basal and squamous cell skin cancer. These are the most common forms of skin cancer. This type of skin cancer is less likely to become life-threatening. However, if left untreated can spread to other parts of your body. The second category of skin cancer is caused by Melanoma cells. Melanoma cells’ function is to give our skin color. The cells are called melanocytes. These melanocytes go under abnormal growth and form benign moles. These benign moles, later become carcinogenic. Skin cancer occurs Due to the DNA mutation of skin cells. These mutations cause skin cells to grow uncontrollably and form a mass of cancer cells. Now, to understand why these cells spawn cancerous forms on our skin, we will look at a few common causes of skin cancer.
Lifestyle choices
An individual’s lifestyle choice is a common cause of skin cancer. This can be related in quite a few ways. Smokers usually get squamous skin cancer on their lips. Smoking deteriorates the skin cells of the lips and inhibits regenerative power. Exposure to arsenic, industrial tar, coal, paraffin, and other types of oil, causes non-melanoma skin cancer. Living in areas with more radiation and industrial pollution is also deemed to be a major cause of skin cancer as it deteriorates your skin’s condition.
Exposure to UV rays
Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun’s UV rays.UV rays from the sun or tanning beds are a common cause of skin cancer. The UV rays of the sun affect the basal skin cells the most. This causes the DNA of the cells to get altered or mutated. This mutation will cause abnormal skin growth. Moreover, UV rays also cause squamous skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma and Squamous cell carcinoma happens also if a person has been sunburnt way too many times.
Prevailing skin conditions
Prevailing skin conditions play a role in causing skin cancer. Solar Keratosis is a notable prevailing skin condition. Actinic keratosis is another name for Solar Keratosis. This is seen among people who have been sunburnt quite a few times. Solar Keratosis is seen among people who usually are involved in work that requires a long duration under the sun. Another such condition is Psoriasis. Patients who have been treated for Psoriasis. Moreover, some treatments for psoriasis, such as psoralen ultraviolet light treatment (PUVA), increase your risk as they use ultraviolet light. This may cause abnormal skin cell growth leading to skin cancer.
Inherited conditions
Sometimes inherited conditions through genetics cause skin cancer. The most notable of these genetically inherited conditions are the xeroderma pigmentosum. The Xeroderma pigmentosum weakens the skin’s ability to recover from direct sunlight exposure. That means, the skin becomes more vulnerable to UV ray damage. Fair-skinned people are more susceptible to such damage caused by UV rays. This is because they lack the protective skin pigment melanin.
These aforementioned 4 causes have been the most basic causes in the field of dermatology to be directly or indirectly linked with skin cancer. There are more technically and medically induced factors that come into play but in such a case, an expert dermatologist can provide the best diagnosis.
