Skin Cancer In Australia Essay

Cancer is the second largest cause of death in Australia and accounts for approximately 27% of all deaths. Risk factors generally include exposure to sun, poor diet and smoking. Many types of cancer such as skin cancer, lung cancer and breast cancer are easily preventable by early detection and awareness; however, some cancers cannot be prevented.

Although there are several types of skin cancer, the most aggressive form is melanoma. This cancer of the skin involves mass replication of the pigment producing melanocyte cells, which are located in the epidermis, below the basal layer. There are several factors involved with the onset of melanoma including, exposure to ultraviolet rays, genetic predisposition, numerous nevi (moles), immunosuppression, and environmental exposure to carcinogens.

Many people think that is it possible to achieve a “healthy tan,” but this thought has been proven wrong. Overexpose to UV-A and UV-B rays from the sun lead to premature aging of the skin, as well as the possible formation of skin cancer, know as melanoma. An appearance of a tan is actually a stage of burning and damage to the skin. Although a tan may be desirable to many, the fact remains that more people need to be educated on the dangers of the sun’s harmful rays, and the possible health complications of overexposure.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime. Consider that 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers are associated with high exposure to UV radiation from the sun (which means 90% of nonmelanoma skin cancers are preventable!) WebMD reports that Melanoma ( a severe type of skin cancer) often starts as a change in skin or a mole growth.

Problematique Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and is an ever increasing threat, accounting for over forty percent of cancer cases in the world. In the United States alone, over two million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer each year and one in every five Americans will develop it in their lifetime. Australia and New Zealand have some of the highest cancer rates in the world which is four times that of the US, UK and Canada. This disease is mainly due to UVB exposure from the sun but also from other sources of UV like tanning beds. Ultraviolet radiations come in three types: UVA, UVB, and UVC.

Have you ever felt the “false sense of security that [you] may not feel under direct sunlight” from a tanning bed (Jeffrey)? Your body relaxes, you feel serene, and you get a golden glow. Some teens strive for this feeling...and the tan. Tanning is the skin's response to injury, according to Arielle Kauvar, M. D. The exposure of UV rays over time can cause skin cancer. Skin cancer is the growth of abnormal growth of skin cells that forms in the tissue of the skin (Skin Cancer). Melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, can come from UV rays. From 1998- 2008, the number of cases of Melanoma has increased by about

Skin cancer is a very common form of cancer in Australia. People are exposed to ultraviolet radiation more extensively than anywhere else in the world. Cancer is a disease in which cells grow and divide aggressively. These cells invade and destroy other tissues and sometimes spread to other areas in the body.

Indoor tanning exposes users to two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. UVA rays are suspected to be linked to the development of melanoma and other skin cancers. Worldwide, there are more skin cancer cases due to indoor tanning than there are lung cancer cases due to smoking. Tanning causes damage to the DNA in our skin cells, which leads to abnormal growth that could be benign or malignant. Tanning also weakens our immune system which compromises our body's capability of fighting against malignancies and cancer cells. There are two types of skin cancer that can be caused by tanning- basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. These types are treatable with early detection. Development of melanoma can be fatal."In the US alone, 419,254 cases of skin cancer can be attributed to indoor tanning. Out of this number, 6,199 are melanoma cases" (Skin Cancer Foundation). It has been found that younger tanners are at higher risk of developing skin cancers from tanning, but with the high levels of UV exposure, any tanner should take

Now that we know different types of skin cancer, it is important to know the causes for this disease. The first one is the environmental pollutants that we are exposed to such as coal, tar, and radium. Exposure to ionizing radiation such as x-rays also cause skin cancer (“Theoretical Causes”, 2000, P.6).

In Australia, Cancer is acknowledged as a priority issue that needs improving for Australia’s overall health. In 2004, cancer accounted for 28% of all deaths in Australia, 33.3% were males and 25.9% were females. A trend that has occurred between 1991 and 2011 gives Australia’s health, relating to cancer, hope that cancer deaths will continually be declining due to many factors. The trend is, the number of deaths between 1991 and 2011, had majorly declined by 17% and still to today the numbers are declining. Cancer mortality rates could be reduced by changes to lifestyle, for example, no smoking and eating balanced diet. The most common cancers in Australia are non-melanoma skin cancers, which are often self detected and usually

United States. Skin cancer has been the most popular form of cancer that is growing especially since the invention of tanning beds. Sun exposure and radiation exposure increase the risk of skin cancer. The definition of cancer is abnormal cell growth or behavior. Studies have shown that sun and radiation exposure damage the cells in your body. Richard Wagman is the author of this article; he is a doctor who specializes in internal medicine. The publication is from The New Complete Medical and Health Encyclopedia, which is a book written by M.D. Richard

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common cancer, accounting for about half of all cancers in the United States. More than 3 million cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States alone this year (Skin Cancer Foundation). Basal-cell carcinomas constitute approximately 90 percent of all non-melanoma skin cancers, making it the most common cancer in humans. Basal-cell carcinomas or BCCs are abnormal, uncontrolled growths or lesions that arise in the skin’s basal cells, which line the deepest layer of the epidermis. This type of cancer most often occurs in skin that is frequently exposed to sunlight or other ultraviolet radiation such as the face, ears, neck and limbs (Rubin et al.). As ultraviolet rays

C. Melanoma Skin Cancer is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, it kills one person per hour, these cancerous growths are most often caused by ultraviolet radiation from sunshine or tanning beds. These tumors originate in the pigment-producing melanocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. Melanoma is caused mainly by intense, occasional UV exposure (frequently leading to sunburn), especially in those who are genetically predisposed to the disease. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of a mole.

Skin cancer is not that common in children; however, the habits that children develop in relation to the sun can have a direct impact on if they get skin cancer when they are older. If your family has a history of skin cancer, it is particularly important that you teach your child how to keep their skin healthy.

Melanoma is known to be one of the most serious types of skin cancer. The country with the highest melanoma incident rate recorded in the world is New Zealand. This type of cancer occurs when there is too much UV radiation from the sun. New