Video:Causes of Skin Cancer

Transcript:Causes of Skin Cancer

Hi. I'm Dr. David Colbert, a Board Certified Dematologist at the New York Dermatology group, here for About.com. Today I am going to explain what the causes of skin cancer are.

Melanoma is a Pigmented Skin Cancer

So there are three types of skin cancers. Melanoma is a form of pigmented cancer. Melanoma can be in any race or color. It starts as a dark spot either black or gray or sometime pink. Sometimes there's no color. Usually a melanoma is about the size of a pencil eraser or bigger. Anything over the size of maybe 4 or 5 millimeters you should get to your board certified dermatologist and have it looked at. Probably biopsied, very important, because melanoma is very often lethal.

Melanoma occurs when DNA in melanocytes, the cells that give color to your skin becomes damaged and grows out of control. So, what causes this? Mostly UV exposure, sun, and tanning beds. Other causes are considered genetic and environmental combined.

Don't go to a tanning booth, ever. It gived you giant amount of UV radiation to your skin cells. Don't go out without sun block, especially if you're fair. Wear sunglasses to protect your retina. There is definitely a correlation bwteen the number of blistering sunburns a person's had.

Basal Cell Carcinoma is a Common Cancer with a High Cure Rate

Basal Cell Carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in the United States and across the world. It can occur in any skin type, but more commonly in fair skinned people. Basal Cell grows from the basal cell at the base of our skin. And what it looks like is sort of a pearly little bump. It has sort of a translucent pearlescent color and you can see a couple little blood vessels on it. Then it can start to change and ulcerate as it grows deeper and deeper. The cure rate is pretty much 98/99 percent. Basal cell carcinoma begins when the type of cell which produced new skin becomes damaged primarily by UV rays from sunlight.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma is Caused by UV Radiation

A squamous cell begins with a superficial skin cell that starts to lose its organization. Its DNA changes from too much sunlight or other carcinogens and the cells become squamous cells that are cancerous. They tend to multiply and grow.

A skin cancer is caused by a carcinogen. Sunlight or some other cancer causing agent. Squamous cells are the cells just below your visible skin and become cancerous when cell death no longer occurs as it should. Squamous cell carcinoma is caused by UV radiation from sunlight, tanning beds, and lamps.

Additional Risk Factors of Skin Cancer Include:

• Fair skin, your age (45 or over)
• Your sex (men deemed more likely with greater exposure to the sun)
• Personal history (once you've had it you're more likely to develop it again)
• People with weakened immune systems. This includes HIV and AIDS patients.
• People who have undergone transplant surgery
• Users of medication that suppress the immune system
• Smokers
• People with psoriasis

A squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer in the united States. Most often it occurs on sun exposed areas like the head and neck, the face, the hands, the arms, the legs. You should get a skin cancer screening once or twice a year and any lesion that's new that seems unusual, that feels warty to you or just won't go away should be checked by your dermatologist and should be biopsied.

Thanks for watching. And to learn more, visit us on the web at About.com.