Causes of Skin Cancer

What causes skin cancer is a question that many dermatologists are bound to answer when faced with patients suffering from such a condition. However, unlike other conditions, the causes of this condition are fairly established hence easy to enumerate. Even though there could be a need for further tests to reveal among the many possible factors which one could be attributed to case the patient is exhibiting.

Ultra Violet Radiation

Ultra violet radiation emanating from the sun accounts for the majority of skin cancer. It is therefore one of the leading causes of skin cancer. UV rays, the other name for ultra violet radiation are said to come from the sun. The sun’s energy is made up of two components which are the visible and invisible rays. Ultra violet radiation is part of the latter hence its deadly effect. In addition to being among the factors of what causes skin cancer, ultra violet radiation also results in sunburn as well as suntan. While limited exposure to the sun may be good for the skin, sun tan and sun burn for extended periods is one of the precipitating factors for skin cancer.

How UV Causes Skin Cancer

As one of the causes of skin cancer, ultra violet radiation uses several mechanisms to infiltrate the skin and make it vulnerable to attack. This helps to create conditions favorable for the sprouting and development of cancerous cells. This they achieve by ruining the skin’s DNA. Without the correct DNA, skin cells may grow in forms and shapes that are abnormal. Many of the cells in the skin will consequently take same pattern of growth. This systematically changes the configuration of the skin hence resulting in giving a wrinkled and fast ageing appearance. Both elements of ultra violet radiation, UVA and UVB are causes of skin cancer hence the need to protect one self from the harsh rays of the sun.

Heredity is another factor in what causes skin cancer. It has been argued that the genes causing skin cancer are known to be passed from parents to children or other relatives in the family line. Race also plays a role in the development of this condition and could cause skin cancer. Fair skinned people as well as those of northern European descent are a t a higher risk of ending up with skin cancer. Environmental factors such as cloud cover, elevation, latitude and the depletion of the ozone layer could also cause skin cancer. The likelihood of developing skin cancer could in the long run be determined to a great extend by the region where the individual lives or works.