Skin cancer is a growing concern globally, but despite the increasing commonness of
this potentially deadly disease, awareness about this illness isn’t commonly brought up. This
article illuminates all aspects of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer by highlighting
specific examples from various countries around the world and providing some ways to lower one’s chances of facing the sickness.
One of the most prevalent types of cancer in the world, skin cancer is becoming more
common every year. For better patient outcomes, early detection and prompt treatment are
essential. However, in various countries not near the equator, skin cancer is the most common.
According to the International World Cancer Research Fund, one of the leading causes of skin cancer is over-exposure to certain types of light like UV rays from the sun. However, people with less melanin in their skin cells are more prone to skin cancer as melanin is a protective pigment that helps prevent darker-skinned people from being damaged by UV rays, isn’t as present. This correlates to the higher skin cancer cases occurring in countries with a higher fairer-skinned population like Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada, according to the National Institutes of Health. To lower one’s chances of getting skin cancer, one should use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 as it blocks out around 97% of UVB rays.
However, skin cancer can also affect another demographic. Typically in third-world
countries, the drinkable water isn’t as purified compared to other nations around the globe. This tends to lead to water being contaminated with arsenic, a harmful substance, that can hurt people if ingested in certain amounts. Contaminated water can be very detrimental to a human’s health and is a high cause of skin cancer in certain areas of the world.
A typical way water can become contaminated includes agricultural, mining and industrial practices contaminating the water with arsenic. Additionally, the International Agency for Research on Cancer has claimed that water contaminated with arsenic is carcinogenic (cancer-causing) and is typically common in South and East Asia. A way to avoid skin cancer through water contamination would be to switch water sources, from high-arsenic sources like groundwater to low-arsenic sources like rainwater or purified water.
Overall, skin cancer is a prominent illness that affects millions of people on a global
scale annually. And while its causes may seem massive and unpreventable, with a couple of
precautions, one’s chances of getting skin cancer can decrease significantly and help them live a healthy, plentiful life.
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