The solar radiation has mainly a negative influence on human skin. A chronical exposition to the sun radiation can cause a rise of skin tumours.
Skin tumours represent a big group of diseases that cause usually rather cosmetical problems, nevertheless all the most common malignant skin tumours can be connected with the radiation.
Malignant skin tumours include (basocellular and spinocellular) carcinoms and a malignant melanom.
Basocellular carcinom is perceived as the most common malignant skin tumour. Its incidence has doubled in last 15 years and there are 40-80 patients to 100 000 inhabitants in Europe, 300 patients to 100 000 inhabitants in the south of the USA and even 1600 patients to 100 000 inhabitants in Australia. In the USA, about 500 000 new cases are diagnosed every year, but in fact, they are much more numerous because not all of them present themselves.
This tumour is more frequent among men (it may be connected with the fact that they are more exposed to solar radiation), but the difference between sexes decreases. The tumour is more likely to occur among people more over the age of 60, even though it can rise at any age (more than 3/4 patients are over 40 years old.).
White and light-skinned (red-haired, freckled, those who have more pigmentary naevi) people are more at risk, the other way round, those who have been cured of acne are less at risk.
An exposition to ultraviolet radiation represents the main impact on rise of the tumour – the risk rises proportionally to exposition to the UV-radiation, that is why it rises most among people working outside and it is more frequent in countries with higher UV-radiation intensity.
The most recent studies describe different references to the UV-exposition among skin carcinoms: a baseocellular type (as well as the melanom does) has more reference to an acute intermittent exposition, mainly in childhood, a spinocellular carcinom shows more correlation with a chronical cumulative exposition to the UV-radiation.
Spinocellular carcinom is perceived as the second most frequent skin tumour, it occurs in a rate of 1:5-1:10 to the baseocellular carcinom (among white people). Among other races, the tumour incidence is lower, it rises often elsewhere on the body (among white-skinned people, it is mostly on face, neck and forearms, whereas among dark-skinned people, the exposed UV-radiation is as frequent on the skin as the non-exposed one).
The incidence in Europe is 6 patients to 100 000 inhabitants among women and 12 patients to 100 000 inhabitants among men, there are 30-60 diseased to 100 000 inhabitants in the south of the USA and 200 diseased to 100 000 inhabitants in Australia. The disease is three times more frequent among women than among men (in the USA). The tumour is more likely to rise in old age and in case of cumulative chronical exposition to the UV-radiation.
Melanom is quite a rare malignant tumour, it represents about 1-2 % of all malignant tumours and 5-7 % of malignant skin tumours, but it is very dangerous. It represents 65 % of deaths caused by skin diseases. Approximately 20 % of all sorts of melanoms are lethal.
An abruptly increasing occurrence of the melanom has been observed worldwide since 1950. The incidence doubled between 1970 and 1980, nowadays the rise is less abrupt. (about 8 % a year) and it represents 12 patients to 100 000 inhabitants in Europe, more than 40 cases to 100 000 inhabitants in south-western states of the USA and in Australia (the biggest occurrence in Queensland, New Zealand and Australia, even 60 cases to 100 000 inhabitants among white people). White people are more at risk of a melanom rise, the incidence among Negroes and Asians is only about 0,1 cases to 100 000 inhabitants.
Until adolescence, a melanom rise is very rare. Recently, a shift of the tumour rise to younger age has been observed. Formerly diagnosed between the age of 60 and 70, whereas two maximums – between the age of 30 and 40 and at the age of 60 – are observed nowadays. Among women between the age of 20 and 30, the melanom is the most frequent malignant tumour.
In consideration of the above-mentioned facts, it is evident that people should nowadays protect themselves from the solar radiation. If they want to sun-bathe, they ought to know how to do and know the possible consequences of sun-bathing, too.
There is no „healthy sun-bathing“ (not even in solariums). Everyone should protect especially children and observe the rules which are generally known – accomodate to his so-called phototype we know, avoid sun-bathing at noon, protect his skin with clothes, wear a hat, use suntan creams with protective filters repeatedly during the day.
It is advisable to go for a dermatological check-up once a year and have your pigmentary alterations examined, preferably with the digital dermatoscope.
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