Skin Cancer: A Case Study

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 Allen, “The sun radiates energy in a wide range of wavelengths, most of which are invisible to human eyes. The shorter the wavelength, the more energetic the radiation, and the greater the potential for harm. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface is in wavelengths between 290 and 400 nm (nanometers, or billionths of a meter). This is shorter than wavelengths of visible light, which are 400 to 700 nm.” When these UV rays hit your skin, they can directly damage your DNA, cause a painful burn, and premature the aging of the skin, which are caused by UVA. The UV rays that we are exposed to are UVA and UVB rays. (Sottery) UVA is a long, flowy line and UVB is a tighter, patterned line. UVA rays contribute to melanoma, deeply passes through skin, affects skin at any time of day, passes through clouds and glass, and is responsible for about 95% of UV radiation that reaches earth. UVB can burn skin, passes the skin’s outer layer only, affects skin most intensely during summer, causes near-immediate effects, can partially penetrate clouds but not glass, can contribute to skin cancer, and accounts for about 5% of the sun’s energy that reaches earth.

The third factor that plays a major role in causing skin cancer is the Ozone layer. It helps protect people from ultraviolet radiation. However, the ozone layer is shrinking and this is due to man-made products like sprays and combustion of cars that are emitted in the atmosphere. This process is allowing more ultraviolet penetration to the earth thus increasing risk of skin cancer (Bair, 1991, P. 367,368). Ultraviolet radiation are the chief causes for skin cancer because the UV radiation

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.

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

Dermatologists, physicists, and scientists conducted a workshop of UVA treatment, and the workshop’s findings are presented in the New England Journal of Medicine. A previous president of the American Academy of Dermatology wrote an article titled “UVA1 is Often A1” to discuss their findings. The workshop found that medium or high-dose UVA1 works well with morphea, urticarial pigmentosa, atopic dermatitis, dyshydrotic dermatitis, subacute pruigo, and systemic lupus erythematosus. These diseases are treated by UVA rays because the wavelength is longer, which means there is less energy delivered to the skin and the greater penetration of photons (Dahl, 2012). Dermatologists even use sunbeds with higher intensity than regular tanning beds in their offices. For example, Windsor Dermatology uses four different types of light therapy to treat the skin condition psoriasis. One type of light therapy is that of UVA. The anti-inflammatory properties of ultraviolet light aid in slowing the growth of psoriasis effected skin

    Most people are exposed to large amount UVA rays in their lifetime.They account for up to ninety-five percent of

“Indoor tanning under the age of 18 increases your risk of skin cancer by 75%”(Division of Cancer Prevention Ceanter). Over 10,000 people are expected to die this year from UV related causes. However, many people will disregard these facts and continue on with their harmful habits. There are many effects of artificial tanning and prolonged exposure to the sun. Many people have no idea about the risks of prolonged exposure to the sun, how dangerous artificial tanning actually is, or how radiation is not the only harmful trait of indoor tanning.

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

This article accounts the Surgeon General’s mission to prevent skin cancer in the United States because it has become a major public health problem. This “Call to Action” has five major goals to support prevention, other methods of protection, reduce indoor tanning damage, increase the public’s knowledge, and strengthen research. It gives information about laws that have been applied in a majority of the states, including Indiana, that restrict indoor tanning. This emphasizes how serious skin cancer is becoming and how UV tanning could be a factor if government actions are being taken.

Several findings are made based on the results: UV radiation can cause cell death by inducing genetic mutation, which agree with Diepegen et al. (2012)’s finding regarding UV radiation’s destructive effect at a cellular level. Photoprotective agents can effectively prevent and reduce UV radiation induced damage to cells. Similar findings were made by Quatrano and Dinulos (2013), who indicated that sunscreen contains active ingredient that absorbs UV radiation ranging between 290-400 nm. This experiment proves that photoprotective agents with higher SPF values are more effective in absorbing UV radiation. Indicated by Green et al. (2011), they suggested that regular application of high SPF sunscreen will prevent melanoma.

UV light rays can damage your car's interior and be dangerous to your skin's health. If your car interior is subjected to prolonged exposure to UV rays, the upholstery will fade and leather and plastic will crack. Tints keep your car cooler, which - in turn - keeps your car running efficiently. It may seem hard to believe, but a operating a vehicle with window tints can actually save you gas! Fuel efficiency increases when your car interior is cooler and you don't have to run the air conditioner as hard to bring the temperature

Imagine that it is summertime and you are walking down the store aisle fully stocked with sunscreen. You own the responsibility of deciding which product will best protect. A parent can be overwhelmed by the available choices. This project will clear the fog of misleading labels and get down to the cold hard facts of which brand of sunscreen blocks out the most ultraviolet light. In order to test this one would need to understand three things. First, what is light and where does it come from? Then, learn about the damage that UV light and radiation may cause. Lastly, we shall learn how to protect ourselves from these harmful effects.

Every hour at least one American will die of skin cancer caused by exposure to the sun. These statistics are alarming and most people are unaware that the sunshine that we all love so much is in fact a threat to our health and good looks. It is up to us to educate ourselves and our children on the harmful effects of sun exposure on the human body like premature aging, physical damage to the body, and cancerous diseases.

The various tissue layers of the eye absorb the wavebands of UVR to different extents. The longer the wavelength, the deeper the penetration of ocular tissue. Of the radiation from sunlight, UV-B has the greatest impact on the eye. Overexposure can result in photokeratitis or, in rare cases, solar maculopathy. Studies show that chronic exposure to UV-B can also cause cortical cataracts. UV-A is considered a greater threat to produce skin cancer than damage the eye.