Skin Cancer

How the Sun Sees You How the Sun Sees You

Skin Cancer: The Facts The most common cancer in the United States Approximately 2 million people are diagnosed annually The number one risk factor for skin cancer is UV radiation exposure According to the American cancer Society, those who begin indoor tanning before the age of 35 have an 87% increase in their risk of developing melanoma

A Little about the Sun The sun emits 3 types of UV rays: UVA Rays: Not absorbed by the ozone layer Penetrate deep into the skin Contribute to premature aging and skin cancer Year-round damage

Over Exposure to UVA Rays This unidentified man (from England) has been a driver for 28 years. His skin has been gradually thickening over the past 25 years UVA rays transmit through clouds and window glass to penetrate the skin’s layers and have been tied to wrinkles and aging

A Little about the Sun UVB Rays: Reach the surface and are the primary cause of sunburn and skin cancer Only when the sun is hot

A Little about the Sun UVC Rays: Ozone and oxygen absorb ALL UVC rays and most UVB rays

Sunscreen Designed to either absorb UV radiation or reflect UV radiation SPF rating refers to the amount of time it would take the sun to burn an individual with no sunscreen compared to the time it would take to burn with sunscreen. The SPF factor rates how effective the sunscreen is in preventing sunburn caused by UVB rays. If you’d normally burn in 10 minutes, SPF 15 means that by a factor of 15, meaning you could go 150 minutes before burning Want a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays How does Sunscreen work?

Skin Cancer Type Squamous Cell Carcinoma Basal Cell Carcinoma Melanoma Develops in squamous cells found in the epidermis More common in individuals with fair skin Basal Cell Carcinoma Basal cells create the basement layer that nourishes the epidermis Most commonly found in areas of the body with high sun exposure Melanoma Develops in the melanocytes Least common type of cancer, but accounts for more than 75% of all deaths from skin cancer How Skin Cancer Forms

Not an Old Person’s Disease Read Part 1 of Not an Old Person’s Disease and respond to the following questions: What are some differences between Judy and Mariah that might make Judy more "at risk" for skin cancer than Mariah? What observations did Judy make concerning her mole?

Skin Cancer Skin cancer is most simply abnormal growth of epithelial cells and is most commonly found in areas of skin with high sun exposure. UV radiation causes mutations in the DNA of skin cells When these mutations occur in genes that every healthy person has in order to make more cells (cell cycle genes), uncontrollable cell growth occurs.

Cell Cycle Genes Proto-oncogenes There are normal situations that arise when cells need to grow and divide. Proto-oncogenes are responsible for initiating this growth and division Normal genes can become cancer causing genes when mutations occur in them that cause them to allow cells to divide all the time Results in an abnormal mass of cells, or cancer, can occur The mutated forms of the normal proto-oncogenes are called oncogenes Proto- refers to the fact that even though the normal role of these genes is not to cause cancer, but the can be mutated to cause cancer. Onco- refers to genes that can lead to cancer

Cell Cycle Genes Tumor Suppressor Genes These genes make proteins that normally inhibit cell division and prevent tumors from forming These genes tell cells to STOP growing and dividing If both copies of a tumor suppressor gene have a mutation, then your cells will not have that normal control to stop them from dividing at an inappropriate time

Skin Cancer There is a careful balance in normal cells between the “cell-division-promoting” proto-oncogenes and the “cell-division-inhibiting” tumor suppressor genes If this balance is tipped one way or another, cancer can develop

Not an Old Person’s Disease Read part two of Not an Old Person’s Disease and respond to the following questions: Considering the differences between a benign tumor and a malignant tumor, why might a benign tumor be easier to treat? Judy learned that every single person has these cell cycle genes so cells in our body can divide when necessary. What are some normal circumstances where our bodies might need to make more cells? Every person has these cell cycle proto-oncogenes, but not every person has cancer. Why might this be the case? Discuss answers and hopefully pause here for day 1

Not an Old Person’s Disease Read part 3 of Not an Old Person’s Disease and respond to the final set of questions: Now that you know a little more, what are the risk factors that increase a person’s chances of having melanoma? How does sunlight contribute to the development of melanoma? What does it mean to be predisposed to getting cancer? If you inherit a mutated cell cycle gene, does that automatically mean that you will get cancer some day? If you inherit a mutated cell cycle gene and participate in risky behaviors such as sunbathing, does that mean you will automatically get cancer some day?

Dear 16-year-old-me…. Dear 16-year-old me...