Skin Cancer Essay Example For Students

Skin Cancer Essay Skin CancerGone are the days when people sent children outside to play to get a littlecolor in their cheeks. They know too much about the dangers of unprotected sunexposure and the threat of skin cancer. Or do they? Despite the fact that 58%of parents remembered hearing about the importance of protecting their childrenfrom the sun, children are still playing in the sun without sunscreen orprotective clothing (3., p 1). Sunburn is the most preventable risk factor ofskin cancer. Skin type and family history cannot be changed. Protection fromthe sun and education of the potential hazards of the sun need serious attention. The American Cancer Society estimates that over 850,000 cases of skin cancerwill occur in the United States during 1996. Of those cases, they predict that9,430 will end in death (4., p 1). Apparently, Americans still do not have anadequate amount of prevention information to help reduce the disfigurement andmortality from this cancer. Exposure to the ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the most frequently blamedsource of skin cancer. Due to the reduction of ozone in the earths atmosphere,UV radiation is higher today than it was several years ago. Ozone serves as afilter to screen out and reduce the UV light that reaches the earths surfaceand its people. Very simply, sunburn and UV light can damage the skin and leadto skin cancer (1., p 1). The American Cancer Society also faulted repeatedexposure to x-rays, artificial forms of UV radiation like tanning beds, andcontact with chemicals like coal tar and arsenic as other causes of skin cancer(4., p 1). Additionally, if there is a history of skin cancer in the family, anindividual may be at a higher risk (1., p 1). Individuals who have experiencedonly one serious sunburn have increased their risk of skin cancer by as much as50% (1., p 4). Two types of genes, which are only a small fraction of the genetic material,play particularly important roles in triggering cancer. Proto-oncogenes inducecell growth and reproduction, while tumor suppressor genes inhibit it. Together,they carefully control the proliferation of cells. However, if a proto-oncogeneis mutated, it can become a carcinogenic oncogene, driving excessivemultiplication. Tumor suppressor genes, on the other hand, contribute to cancerwhen they are inactivated by mutation (Ruddon, 1995). Luckily, cancerous tumorsare not caused by one little mutation in one cell they are caused bymultiple mutations in a number of the cells growth-controlling genes. Thenumber of mutations necessary can be as low as two or quite high, depending onthe specific type of cancer. Generally, these mutations occur either frommistakes during cell reproduction, or due to DNA damage caused by carcinogenssuch as tobacco, certain poisons, and UV rays. So, why dont we all get cancerfrom these th ings right away? Consider that one of your cells is damaged bypoison and becomes mutated. In order for this cell to turn into a cancer cell,the rest of the necessary mutations must also occur in this very same cell. Thisin itself, is fairly unlikely. It normally takes decades for an incipient tumorto collect all the mutations required for its malignant growth, whichexplains why the average age for cancer diagnosis is 67 (Ruddon, 1995). Why,then, do some individuals contract cancer before the typical age of onset? Inmany cases, this is explained by the inheritance of a mutation in a criticalgrowth controlling gene. Typically, this mutation would be a very rare event. However, in this individual, the mutation is present in ALL the cells of thebody, instead of in some randomly stricken cell. So, the process of tumorformation skips its first, slow step. No one can actually inherit cancer;rather, they inherit a predisposition to develop a cancer, which is why cancersdo tend to run in families, but not all family members are stricken (Brock,1993). The outlook for people with cancer has improved steadily since thebeginning of the 20th century, when few cancer victims survived for very long. The Struggle for the Soul of Arthur Dimmesdale EssayToday, 51% of cancer patients survive for 5 years or more, and the AmericanCancer Society estimates that an additional 25% of cancer deaths could beprevented with earlier diagnosis and treatment (ACS homepage). However, one inthree people in the United States will eventually develop some type of cancer,so routine screening for early detection should be an important part ofeveryones lives (Ruddon, 1995). The earlier cancer is diagnosed and treated,the better the chance of its being cured. Some cancers, such as breast andskin cancers, can be detected by routine self-examination before they become tooserious, while others are only detected by more complicated methods. Either way,early diagnosis appears to be the key to survival. BibliographyRuddon, Raymond W. 1995. Cancer Biology, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford UniversityPress. Brock, D.J.H. 1993. Molecular Genetics for the Clinician. 1st ed. NewYork: Cambridge University Press.