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A Family History Of Skin Cancer Is A Risk Factor For Skin Cancer

Author: AdrianFletcher
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Skin cancer is a common form of cancer for people that expose their skin to the sun often. It can be readily treated if picked up quickly enough through screening sessions or personal inspection of the body for any moles, other skin blemishes or changes in existing marks on the skin. However preventing skin cancer from ever occurring is a far better approach. And prevention is far more successful if people are aware of the risk factors that make them more susceptible to the disease. This article will detail how a family history of skin cancer is a major risk factor for skin cancer in a person.

To put this in context, risk factors will not conclusively prove that you will get skin cancer however they can give you some pointers on how to treat your skin for instance or how much time you should spend in the sun. They can show you what may happen if you neglect your skin for a long time.

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 family characteristic that health care professionals will pay attention to is known as Familial Atypical Multiple Mole Melanoma Syndrome or FAMMM for short. Some people have moles that may be irregular in shape and size and vary in color over their body's. These moles are prime candidates for developing into a melanoma even though they may not be cancerous when examined.

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.

Having fair skin or skin with lots of freckles is also a risk factor to getting skin cancer. Spending too much time in the sun or on a sun bed are activities that can put you at risk. These factors and a family history of skin cancer can increase your chances of getting the disease. If you are aware of this information then you are better prepared to prevent the disease from affecting you.