Skin Cancer Risk Factors A Family History Of Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is one of the more common forms of cancer that people can get. It is generally treatable too, if caught early enough. This means that it is important to inspect your skin and get annual skin cancer screening sessions from your health care professional. Of course a better way to deal with skin cancer is to prevent it ever happening to you.

A good way to do this is to understand the risk factors for skin cancer and modifying your exposure to things that will cause the disease. This article will cover how a family history of skin cancer is a important risk factor for skin cancer and how it should influence how you care for your skin. To give this a point of reference, risk factors do not prove one way or the other that you will get skin cancer but they can certainly inform you on how to care for your skin and what may happen if you don't take skin care seriously.

Even so, if you are fortunate enough not to have a family history of skin cancer then don't think that you can treat your skin poorly and dismiss skin cancer. It is one of the most common cancers in the world today and is increasing at a rapid rate. Everybody should be alert when it comes to skin cancer. General advice is to have an annual screening for any moles or marks on the skin. Better still you should examine your body regularly and see your doctor if you find new moles or existing ones changing shape or color. As with many diseases and conditions, a family history of skin cancer does increase your chances of getting the disease.

Statistics suggest that there is a one in ten chance of getting a melanoma if a family member has ever had it before. The odds of this happening are thought to increase the closer the family member is. So a first degree relative like a mother, father, sister or brother that has had a melanoma increases th chance of getting the disease by 50%. The consequence of this is that anyone that is diagnosed with a melanoma will be advised by their doctor to make the relatives get regular skin cancer screening sessions.

Another hereditary link that health care professionals look out for is referred to as the Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma Syndrome (FAMMM). Some skin types will have numerous moles on them. They may be irregular in size and shape. They may vary in color from black to brown to lighter shades. These skin types are more susceptible to developing skin cancer.

Therefore if your relatives have this type of skin then you are at greater risk to developing skin cancer too. You may even have the same noticeable moles on your skin too. If this is so, your health care professional will ensure that you inspect your body more often for new moles or changes to the current moles. They will also advise that you get screened annually by a professional. Apart from a family history of skin cancer there are other factors that predispose you to skin cancer.

These include fair skin or skin with plenty of freckles. People that spend too much time in the sun are also at risk. People that use sun beds too much are also at risk.

Becoming aware of the factors that increase your risk of getting skin cancer is the first step towards preventing the disease.

For information on symptoms and dangers of skin cancer and treating skin cancer on nose then visit symptomsofskincancer.net