Does UV radiation cause skin cancer?

Usually we encourage everyone to do a good job of sun protection, because long-term ultraviolet radiation can have a great impact on our skin health, and there is enough evidence from research to find that there is a certain relationship between ultraviolet radiation and skin diseases.

1. Chronic irritation and inflammation: Malignant skin tumors can occur and develop in scars, chronic ulcers, fistulas, and sinus tracts. Some Asian people are addicted to chewing tobacco or betel nuts, so squamous cell carcinoma is prone to occur in the mouth or lips.

2. Ionizing radiation: In the past, skin cancer occurred on the basis of radiation dryness caused by radiation workers' neglect of protective measures. In recent years, due to the improvement of radiation equipment and the advancement of radiation technology, especially the strengthening of various protective measures, occupational skin cancer has basically disappeared. However, some patients who received radiotherapy may still develop skin cancer in the radiation field several years later.

3. Daily exposure to the sun and ultraviolet rays:

There is sufficient evidence to support that the interaction between UV radiation, the body's melanin protection and immune system function leads to the occurrence of skin cancer. When measuring human skin in sunlight, the parts of the skin that receive the greatest amount of ultraviolet rays are the head, face, back of the neck, and hands, and squamous cell carcinoma almost all occurs in these parts. The carcinogenic mechanism of ultraviolet rays may be that the photochemical effect changes the structure of cell DNA, while destroying the active antigen structure on the surface of lymphocytes, reducing the body's immune function, and leading to the occurrence of skin cancer with the joint participation of other carcinogenic factors.

4. Chemical carcinogens:

About 100 years after Percivall first described the prevalence of scrotal skin cancer in chimney sweeps, it was discovered that workers regularly exposed to arsenic, tar, and asphalt were susceptible to skin cancer. The carcinogenicity of chemical substances can be divided into two periods, the initial period and the promotion period. The onset and consequences are closely related to the level of exposure to a specific substance or carcinogen, which is irreversible and involves cellular changes and genetics. Long-term exposure to the contact substance is required, which is related to the interval time. If there is no exposure for a long time, it can still be reversed and cancer will not occur. The time between the initiation phase and the promotion phase is very important and can result in two outcomes: skin cancer may or may not form.