Skin Cancer

Dating back to the 19th century and before, someone with a tan was considered low class, because it suggested outdoor labor. Things soon changed in the 1920's when the tan became a positive fashion statement. Reportedly, French fashion designer Coco Chanel came back from a vacation in the Riviera sporting a bronzed look. People of fashion took note, and soon thereafter, the tan became a sign of class and style. We have seen a rise in skin cancer cases ever since. (Harvard Women's Health Watch, 2006)

Skin cancer is the number one cancer in the United States today. There are more cases of skin cancer diagnosed annually than prostate, lung, and colon cancer combined in men, and breast, lung, and colon cancer combined in women. The number of skin cancer cases diagnosed annually continues to rise because of the focus being on melanoma and not the other two, more common forms of the disease. There are three main types of skin cancer: Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Melanoma. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, followed by squamous cell carcinoma and lastly melanoma. Even though melanoma is the least common, accounting for only 4% of all skin cancers, it is the most deadly. Out of all skin cancer deaths, over 75% are from melanoma. Even though basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of skin cancer, melanoma is the most familiar due to the high death rate. (Harvard Women's Health Watch, 2006)

There are certainly specific characteristics of each form of skin cancer. Melanoma can appear as asymmetrical legions, moles with uneven borders and different colors and are usually Ð'ј inch in diameter. The American Academy of Dermatology (2006) describes the characteristics of basal cell carcinoma as a sore that bleeds, oozes, or crusts and remains open for three or more weeks. A persistent, non-healing sore is a very common sign of an early basal cell carcinoma. Or a reddish patch or irritated area, frequently occurring on the chest, shoulders, arms, or legs. Sometimes the patch crusts. It may also itch or hurt. At other times, it persists with noticeable discomfort. They can appear as a shiny bump, or nodule, that is pearly or translucent and is often pink, red, or white. The bump can also be tan, black, or brown, especially in dark-haired people, and can be confused with a mole. They can also appear as a pink growth with a slightly elevated rolled border and a crusted indentation in the center. As the growth slowly enlarges, tiny blood vessels may develop on the surface. Lastly, there is a scar-like area, which is white, yellow or waxy, and often has poorly defined borders. The skin itself appears shiny and taut. This warning sign can indicate the presence of an aggressive tumor. These warning signs usually occur on sun exposed areas of the body, especially the face and arms. Squamous cell carcinoma usually appear as abnormal legions and can occur anywhere on the body.

There is an abundance of information available about skin cancer, yet unlike other cancers that are now on the decline; skin cancer continues to be on the rise. McDougall, C. (2006) claims that skin cancer has become an epidemic. It is common knowledge that the sun can cause deadly skin cancer, but is it also common knowledge that the sun causes disfiguring cancer? That is probably not the case. If left untreated, both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma can have devastating effects. More awareness needs to be brought to the public's attention on the other two forms of skin cancer, especially basal cell carcinoma. In Recognizing and treating basal cell carcinoma (2006), it states, "Recent figures from the American Cancer society suggest that there are nearly one million new basal cell skin cancers each year." (Harvard Women's Health Watch, Ð'¶ 4).

WebMD (2006) states that; "The sunlight that reaches the earth has ultraviolet A and ultraviolet B (UVA and UVB) rays. These ultraviolet rays are the main causes of damage to the skin from the sun. UVA and UVB rays affect the skin's sensitivity to sun exposure in different ways."

UVA:

Ð'* Can pass through window glass.

Ð'* Is not affected by a change in altitude or weather.

Ð'* Is present all day and every day of the year.

Ð'* Penetrates deep into skin layers.

Ð'* Is 5% of the sun's rays.

Ð'* Is 20 times more abundant than UVB rays.

Ð'* Affects long-term skin damage.

UVB:

Ð'* Cannot pass through window lass

Ð'* Causes sunburn.

Ð'* Causes tanning.

Ð'* Helps the body with normal vitamin D production.

Ð'* Varies with the season. It is more intense in the summer than the winter.

Ð'* Varies with weather conditions.

Ð'* Is more intense at high altitudes and near the equator.

Ð'* Is .05% of the suns rays.

Ð'* Is protected against by the sun protection factor (SPF) in sunscreens.

Ð'* Is related to more than 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancer. (Basal & Squamous Cell)

Ð'* Is related to cataracts.

There are also ultraviolet C rays, but they usually do not reach the earth's surface and are mostly absorbed by the ozone layer above the earth. There have been some articles written about the ozone layer depletion which can lead to UVC exposure. A person only needs brief exposure to UVC to get a sunburn. Prolonged exposure is considered fatal. The UVC ray is the shortest wave length from the sun. Common sense should be used in how much sun exposure we allow ourselves to have. Sunlight provides essential vitamin D and regulates our biological clock. (911Skin.com 2006).

It has long been known that both UVA and UVB rays contribute to skin cancer. Recently; however, some sunscreens manufacturers have made misleading claims that their products reduce the risk of skin cancer by protecting against the sun. This is a false claim due to the fact that they only protect against UVB rays and not UVA rays. (Sizing 2006). Due to these manufactures making these false claims, there is currently a class action lawsuit in California against these manufacturers.