Causes & Risk Factors
Transcript
The risk of non-melanoma skin cancer grows with how much sun exposure a person gets. It’s also much more common among fair skinned individuals than with darker skin. A person who’s likely to get non-melanoma skin cancer is a blonde, blue eyed surfer, lifeguard, or sailor who’s constantly out in the sun.
While melanoma is related to sun exposure, the risk of getting it is not proportional to how much sun a person has had. Instead, it’s much more related to the genetic makeup of a person.
A person who’s likely to get melanoma is a redhead with blue eyes who’s had a family history of melanoma who goes on vacation to a tropical setting and gets a blistering sunburn. That one extreme exposure basically supercharges the genes that cause cancer and start them producing more cancer.
Key Takeaways
1. The risk of non-melanoma skin cancer grows with sun exposure.
2. It’s also much more common for fair skin than darker skin.
3. The risk of getting melanoma is mostly related to the genetic makeup of a person.
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