Generally skin cancer is caused by exposure to ultraviolet light which causes DNA damage to the skin tissue. The main source of ultraviolet light is sunlight which consists of three types, namely:
- Ultraviolet A (UVA)
- Ultraviolet B (UVB)
- Ultraviolet C (UVC)
Sources of artificial UV rays such as UV lamps and tanning beds can also cause skin cancer.
Some factors that can increase a person's risk of developing skin cancer are:
1. Have white skin. Everyone, regardless of skin color, can suffer from skin cancer. But white skin has a protection against weaker UV rays compared to darker skin. Darker skin has more amount of melanin so that it has more protection against UV rays. In addition, the easy formation of spots on the skin indicates that the skin is more susceptible to skin cancer.
2. Often exposed to sunlight. People who are often exposed to sunlight are more at risk of developing skin cancer than those who are rarely exposed to sunlight. Some conditions that can increase sun exposure include
- Live in areas that have a sunny climate.
- Living in a higher area.
3. Mole. People who have a lot of moles or have abnormal moles (larger than usual) are more at risk of developing skin cancer compared to people who have a little mole.
4. Age. People with advanced age are more susceptible to skin cancer than children or adolescents.
5. Skin that has sunburn. Blisters caused by sunlight make the skin more at risk of skin cancer, especially if the skin blisters occur when children or adolescents.
6. Actinic keratosis. In people with bright skin, easy exposure to sunlight causes the formation of patches of skin thickening on the face, hands and head. This condition is pre-cancerous, and has the potential to turn into skin cancer.
7. History of skin cancer. If someone has had skin cancer and recovered, there is a possibility that the same condition will reappear.
8. History of skin cancer in family members. Someone is at high risk of developing skin cancer if you have a sibling or parent who has had skin cancer.
9. Weakening the immune system. People with weakened immune systems have a high risk of developing skin cancer. Also included are people with HIV / AIDS, people taking immunosuppressant drugs, and organ transplant recipients.
10. Radiation therapy. Patients with eczema or zits given radiation therapy have a high risk of developing skin cancer, especially basal cell cancer.
11. Exposure to certain chemicals. Some carcinogenic chemicals, such as arsenic, can increase the risk of developing skin cancer.
Skin Cancer Diagnosis
To diagnose skin cancer accurately, the doctor will apply the following steps to the patient:
- Physical examination of the skin. The doctor will examine the shape of the skin abnormality especially the changes that occur in physical appearance. With this examination, the doctor will determine whether the changes that occur are caused by cancer or other diseases.
- Perform a skin biopsy. Examination of skin tissue samples taken by biopsy in the laboratory.
After the diagnosis is made, the doctor will determine the severity of skin cancer that is suffered based on the stage as follows:
- Stage 0, indicates that the cancer tissue is still in the place where it first appeared and has not spread (in situ).
- Stage 1, shows that the cancerous tissue is still small and has not spread.
- Stage 2, shows that the cancerous tissue has grown, but has not spread.
- Stage 3, shows that the cancer has enlarged and has spread to the surrounding tissue or to the closest lymph nodes.
- Stage 4, indicates that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body or has undergone metastasis.
Staging of skin cancer is done to determine the right treatment. In basal cell carcinoma, cancer cells usually do not spread so that a skin biopsy can determine the type and stage of cancer. But in other types of skin cancer, such as squamous cell carcinoma, cell cell carcinoma, or melanoma, the doctor will do a follow-up examination to get more accurate results. One of the follow-up tests that is usually done is a lymph node biopsy in the cancer area.