Skin Cancer And The Sun by Jane Thurnell-Read

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, affecting about one in five Americans at some point in their lives, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. If left untreated, skin cancer can cause disfigurement, loss of function of important structures in the body and death. The two most common types of skin cancer—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—are highly curable. However, melanoma, the third most common skin cancer, is more dangerous, especially among young people. About 65%–90% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light.

Ultraviolet  rays are an invisible kind of radiation that comes from the sun, tanning beds, and sunlamps. UV rays can penetrate and change skin cells.

The three types of UV rays are ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC)—

• UVA is the most common kind of sunlight at the earth's surface, and reaches beyond the top layer of human skin. Scientists believe that UVA rays can damage connective tissue and increase a person's risk of skin cancer.
• Most UVB rays are absorbed by the ozone layer, so they are less common at the earth's surface than UVA rays. UVB rays don't reach as far into the skin as UVA rays, but they can still be damaging.
• UVC rays are very dangerous, but they are absorbed by the ozone layer and do not reach the ground.

Too much exposure to UV rays can change skin texture and cause the skin to age prematurely, leading to skin cancer. UV rays also have been linked to eye conditions such as cataracts.

Signs of skin cancer can include:

• Rough spots that feel like sandpaper on the head, neck, hands or forearms
• A new growth that doesn’t go away
• Pink spots or bumps that never go away
• Brown or black spots that are new or changing

General risk factors for skin cancer include:

• A history of sunburns early in life
• Excessive exposure to the sun or tanning beds
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun
• Blue or green eyes.
• Blond or red hair
• Freckles and moles
• Family history of skin cancer
• History of organ transplant and immunosuppressive treatments

Skin Cancer & Tanning

When ultraviolet (UV) rays reach the skin's inner layer, the skin makes more melanin. Melanin is the pigment that colors the skin. It moves toward the outer layers of the skin and becomes visible as a tan. A tan does not indicate good health. A tan is a response to injury, because skin cells signal that they have been hurt by the sun's UV rays by producing more pigment.

People burn or tan depending on their skin type, the time of year, and the amount of time they have spent in the sun. The six types of skin, based on how likely it is to tan or burn, are—
Although everyone's skin can be damaged by too much sunlight, people with skin types I and II are at the highest risk.

In spite of all these risks it is important to get some exposure to sunlight on most days. Sunlight on the skin allows the body to produce vitamin D. A lack of vitamin D is now seen as being implicated in cancer, heart disease, Crohn's disease and diabetes. Vitamin D supplements are now recommended by The UK Foods Standard Agency and the Canadian Cancer Society, particularly in the winter and for those who are house-bound or have little or no exposure to sunlight.

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