Most people beleve that skin cancer is only caused by too much sun exposure resulting in
many bad sunburns. However,skin cancer can also be caused by the damage to the skin resulting
from irradiation from X-rays and from the injestion of arsenic salts. People living near sod and turf farms
where arsenic is used in fertilizers have the risk of their well water being contaminated by
arsenic.Arsenic can result in a type of skin cancer called squamous cell carcinoma.
In addition, scars,burns and vaccination marks can eventuate into skin cancer as well
as non-healing sores and ulers.
I have forgotten the number of times patients with chronic ulcerated skin areas-especially
on their lower legs-and previously diagnosed as being caused by vascular problems came to
my office with squamous cell carcinomas as now the predominant part of their skin ulcers.
In addition,people with internal cancer being treated by chemo and/or radiation
therapy are immunosuppressed and have an increased risk of skin cancer.
My senior citizen patients often ask me why they are getting skin cancer now
when they haven't had excessive sun exposure in many years.My answer: not only is
the effect of the sun cumulative over the years but also as all of us age our immune systems
become weaker and are not able to suppress the seeds of skin cancer sown many years
previously.
The bottom line again: any change in size,color or shape of a skin lesion or any
non-healing sore or ulcer should be checked and probably biopsied by your health care
practitioner.
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