The Cayman Islands Cancer Society is observing the month of June as skin cancer awareness month.
Many people love the sun’s warmth. Its rays make us feel good and makes our skin glow, causing us to look good too.
It certainly is beneficial, but on the flip side it is also harmful. If you ever had sunburn, you have felt some of the bad effects of too much sun and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
The sun is our primary source of vitamin D, which helps us absorb calcium for stronger, healthier bones; therefore we all need some level of sun exposure.
But it doesn’t take much time in the sun for most people to get the vitamin D they need, and repeated unprotected exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause premature ageing, eye damage, immune system suppression and skin cancer.
It pays to bear in mind that UV radiation cannot be seen or felt – UV radiation levels are independent of temperature and can still be high even when it is cloudy.
Sun damage and skin cancer
Sun damage accumulates slowly over time and starts at an early age. While some of the sun damage is simply cosmetic, other effects, such as skin cancer, are more serious.
Scientific evidence supports that UV radiation is a causative factor in many types of skin cancer.
Family history is also important, particularly in melanoma. The lighter your skin type, the more susceptible you are to UV damage and to skin cancer.
You might not think of it as an organ but, the skin is and, it is the largest in the body. Whatever your thoughts are on the matter, your skin is very important. It covers and protects everything inside your body.
Without skin, people’s muscles, bones, and organs would be completely exposed.
Let’s face it, the skin holds everything together. It also protects our bodies, helps keep our bodies at just the right temperature, and allows us to have the sense of touch.
The skin is made up of three layers, each with its own important parts; the epidermis, the dermis and the subcutaneous layer.
Skin cancer generally develops in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin), so a tumour can usually be seen.
The epidermis is an elastic layer on the outside that is continually renewing. It includes keratinocytes – the main cells of the epidermis formed by cell division at its base and so named because it produces a tough protein called keratin which helps the skin protect the body; corneocytes – new cells that continually move towards the surface, gradually dying and becoming flattened. Cells in this layer are called squamous cells; melanocytes, which produce the pigment melanin that protects against UV radiation and gives skin its colour; and the basement membrane which is a layer separating the epidermis from the deeper layers of the skin. It is important because when a cancer becomes more advanced it grows through this barrier.
Types of skin cancers
OK, so enough with all the “cytes”, let’s look at types of skin cancers.
According to the World Health Organisation, the incidence of skin cancers has been increasing over the past decades. Currently, between two and three million non-melanoma skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur globally each year. One in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer.
Like all body tissues our skin is made up of cells: basal cells, squamous cells and melanocytes – also responsible for moles, which are non-cancerous growths.
Skin cancer types are named after the skin cell in which the cancer develops: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Carcinoma is another word for cancer.
Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are often grouped together and called ‘common’ or ‘non-melanoma’ skin cancers.
Some skin cancers originate from the skins sweat or oil glands, the nerves and other components of the skin.
These are rare and account for less than 1 percent of all cases of non-melanoma skin cancers.
Victoria Anderson is the project coordinator of the Cayman Islands Cancer Society.
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