Beginnings of skin cancer

The skin is made of tiny ‘building blocks’ called cells. Skin cells can sometimes become cancerous when they have been damaged eg, by ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

Each time skin is exposed to UV radiation changes take place in the structure and function of our skin cells. Over time, the skin can become permanently damaged and the damage will worsen with each exposure.

In people with fair skin, some types of skin cancer are related to the number of severe sunburns the person has had, particularly sunburns during childhood and adolescence.

Other types of skin cancer in people with fair skin tend to be related to a person’s lifetime or ‘cumulative’ exposure to UV radiation.