The two major risk factors for developing skin cancers are the amount of exposure to ultraviolet light (usually as sunlight) and the individual's response to ultraviolet light, which depends on skin type and the amount of melanin skin pigment that protects against ultraviolet light absorption.
At Significantly Higher Risk
• People who live in areas with high sun exposure and at high altitudes.
• People with fair skin (with less melanin in their skin).
• Males have a slightly higher incidence than females.
• Squamous cell carcinoma is most prevalent in people over 55. Males predominate except on the lower leg
sites, where women have a higher incidence.
• Outside workers, since most malignant skin tumors occur on sun-exposed areas of the body including the
head, neck and the back of the hands.
• People with medical conditions involving suppression of the immune system— those infected with HIV,
people with cancer, those who have undergone an organ transplant and are taking immune-modulating drugs,
those with debilitating chronic diseases, the malnourished, the elderly and patients receiving chemotherapy
drugs and steroid hormones .
• Individuals with genetic skin disorders that predispose to skin cancer, such as basal cell nevus syndrome,
