Non-melanoma skin cancer

Highlights of the report

• In 2019, approximately 1.6 billion people of working age (15 years and older) were exposed to solar ultraviolet radiation while working outdoors, accounting for 28 per cent of all working-age people.
• In the same year, nearly 19,000 people in 183 countries died from non-melanoma skin cancer as a result of working outside in the sun. The majority (65 per cent) were men.
• Governments should establish, implement and enforce policies and regulations that protect outdoor workers from sun-induced skin cancer

About Non-melanoma skin cancer

• It refers to a group of cancers that develop in the upper layers of the skin.
• The main types are basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
• The main cause is ultraviolet light, which comes from the sun and is used in sunbeds.
• It is more common in older people, but younger people can also get it.
• Symptoms
  • The main symptom of non-melanoma skin cancer is a growth or unusual patch on the skin but it’s most common in areas exposed to the sun, such as head, face and ears neck and shoulders etc.
• Treatment: Surgery is the main treatment for non-melanoma skin cancer. Radiotherapy, targeted medicines, photodynamic therapy and chemotherapy are also sometimes used.

Q1) What is Basal cell carcinoma?

It is a type of skin cancer that originates in the basal cells, which are found in the lowest layer of the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, but it is generally considered less aggressive than other types of skin cancer, such as melanoma.

Source: 1 in every 3 deaths from nonmelanoma skin cancer linked to working outdoors under sun, WHO calls for action