Skin cancer

Skin Cancer : Causes and Treatment

Introduction

Skin cancers have become one of the most popular types of cancer globally . The UK Cancer Research organisation reports that over 67 ,500 causes of non melanoma skin cancers were diagnosed in the UK in 2003 alone , while about 9 ,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma , the third type of skin cancer annually . This research body suggests that the actual rates of skin cancer occurrence might be higher than the reported figures because skin cancers , especially the non melanoma types tend to be under reported

(CancerHelp UK , 2007 . It is also reported that skin cancer accounts for 40 percent of all cancers in the United States (Gilchrest et al , 1999 Cancer studies have differentiated three primary types of skin cancer these include basal cell carcinoma (BCC , squamous cell carcinoma (SCC which are collectively referred to as non melanoma skin cancer and the third , melanoma (Brash et al , 1991 Armstrong and Kricker , 2001 . The first two types , BCC and SCC are mostly easily treated and non fatal however , melanoma is regarded as the only skin cancer that is potentially fatal . Melanoma is reported to be the 7th most common types of cancer in all , but it is the 6th commonest cancer in women and the 10th in men . Apparently , this type of skin cancer affects women more than men

There is ample scientific evidence that shows that exposure to sun causes all three types of skin cancer . It has been established that the incidence of skin cancer is higher in fairer skinned , sun sensitive people compared to darker skinned , less sun sensitive individuals . The incidence has also been shown to increase with increasing ambient solar radiation , with the highest occurrence in parts of the body exposed to sun , compared to parts less exposed . These infer that UV light from the sun plays an important role in skin cancer . The aim of this essay is to examine how UV light induces cancerous growth in skin cells , and by extension to examine other causes of the disease and treatment options

Biology of the Skin

To better understand how UV light from the sun induces skin cancer , it is pertinent to briefly examine the structure of the skin . The skin , the largest organ in the body , is our primary organ of beauty , touch pleasure and sensuality . It accounts for 12-16 percent of body weight and is about 12 - 20 square feet in length . Structurally , the skin is made up of three layers the outermost layer , the Epidermis , the middle layer , Dermis and the subcutaneous fat layer which is the innermost layer (Pickart , 2008

We shall concern ourselves with the epidermis , which is the part mostly affected by skin cancer . The epidermis is regarded as the thinnest skin layer extending just about 1millimetre in thickness , with the thickest part being the soles of the feet and the palms of the hand . The epidermis is composed of three interwoven cell types namely keratinocytes , cells responsible for the production of the...