Skin cancers kill all too often

Skin cancers include pigmented lesions (mainly melanoma) and non-pigmented lesions (basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, Merkel cell carcinoma). This is a growing health, social and economic problem in Poland. According to data from the NSC, they account for about 10 percent of all malignant neoplasms and, as experts point out, these figures are still severely underestimated. It can be assumed with a high degree of certainty that malignant skin cancers account for the majority of all malignant cancer diagnoses. In the case of melanoma, the disease can develop at any point in life. Most cases are recorded among adults aged 35-49 and among seniors aged 60-74.

- The main cause of all skin malignancies is overexposure to the sun, known as sunbathing, especially when it causes burns and blisters. Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun damage genetic material (DNA, deoxyribonucleic acid) in the skin, causing abnormal cells to form. We are all at risk of contracting the disease, especially fair-skinned people who do not use any form of sun protection. - emphasizes Szymon Bubiłek, Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Sarcoma and Melanoma Society. - Using simple methods such as avoiding exposure between 11 am and 4 pm, using UV-filtered glasse...