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The Eggplant Cancer Cure

A Treatment for Skin Cancer and
New Hope for Other Cancers
From Natures Pharmacy

by Dr. Bill E. Cham, Ph.D.
$24.95 - 132 pages, hardcover

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CHAPTER 2:

What Causes Skin Cancer

There is convincing evidence that sunlight causes skin cancer.

The types of sun radiation include:

• visible light, which gives us the colours we see,
• infrared radiation which gives us the warmth we feel, and
• ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation can cause harmful effects to the skin.

There are three basic types of ultraviolet radiation:

• UVA (long-wave UV),
• UVB (sunburn UV), and
• UVC (short-wave UV).

Table 2-1 summarizes the general features of each type.

The effects of sunlight on the skin

When ultraviolet radiation reaches the skin, some radiation is reflected away from the surface. The remaining radiation is scattered into the tissues just beneath the skin's surface. A fraction of this radiation is absorbed by the skin's living cells.

Ultraviolet radiation absorbed by living cells damages sensitive substances that influence the skin's normal growth and appearance. Damage can result in:

• sunburn,
• increased rate of ageing of the skin, and
• skin cancer.

Sunburn

Sunburn is the most familiar and immediate effect of ultraviolet radiation on the skin. It is an inflammation caused by an increase in blood-flow beneath the skin. The reaction is not normally instantaneous, but reaches a bright red colour within 15 to 20 hours. The condition can be very painful and sometimes causes peeling of the skin.

Brief intense exposure can cause severe sunburn in people who are not accustomed to strong sunlight. There is evidence that this type of exposure, as well as long-term exposures, might be linked to serious forms of skin cancer later in life. Usually five sunburns over a period of time will cause skin cancer.

Increased Rate of Ageing of the Skin

Repeated exposure to the sun's ultraviolet radiation eventually causes skin damage similar to the ageing process. Patches of skin become thin and less elastic, and develop blemishes, sun freckles, and wrinkles. These changes may take many years of exposure but when they occur, the damage is irreversible.

Skin Cancer

If exposure to sunlight continues for several years, the damaged skin has an increased chance of developing one of the forms of skin cancer. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation increases the risk of developing these cancers (although it may not be the only cause of the disease). While the exact relationship is not entirely defined, it appears that intermittent (occasional) exposure and exposure during childhood and adolescence are likely important predictors for basal cell carcinoma and cutaneous malignant melanoma. High levels of chronic exposure, such as working outdoors, is more often associated with squamous cell tumours.

The following facts also link sunlight exposure to skin cancer:

• Most skin cancer occurs in areas of skin most heavily exposed to sunlight (ears, forehead, arms, etc).
• Skin cancer among people who are sensitive to sunlight is more common in regions with stronger sunlight.
• People with genetic diseases that make them more
  sensitive to sunlight have a greater chance of developing skin cancer.
• Studies show that ultraviolet radiation similar to sunlight causes skin cancer in animals.
• UV radiation from tanning beds, or from sun lamps may cause skin cancer. While skin cancer has been as- sociated with sunburn, moderate tanning may also
  produce the same effect. UV radiation can also have a damaging effect on the immune system and cause
  premature ageing of the skin, giving it a wrinkled,
  leathery appearance.

Types of skin cancer linked to sunlight exposure

Three different types of skin cancer are linked to sunlight exposure:

• basal cell cancer,
• squamous cell cancer, and
• malignant melanoma.

Factors affecting risks of developing skin cancer

Five main factors influence the risk of skin cancer:

• skin pigment and ability to tan,
• heredity,
• exposure to chemicals,
• amount of exposure to sunlight, and
• people who have had organ transplants and are on
  immuno-suppressive drugs are prone to developing squamous cell carcinoma.

Skin Pigment and Ability to Tan

Ultraviolet radiation from sunlight affects everybody's skin to some extent, but the skin's response varies widely from person to person. People's sensitivity to the sun varies according to the amount of pigment in the skin and the skin's ability to tan.

Ultraviolet radiation causes tanning in two different ways: by immediate tanning and by delayed tanning. Immediate tanning causes the skin to darken in response to UVA. This darkening begins during the period of exposure, but fades within a few hours or days. The amount of tanning increases according to the skin's natural darkness and previous amount of tanning.

Delayed tanning occurs two to three days after exposure to either UVA or UVB. It lasts from several weeks to months, and is maintained by repeated exposure to sunlight. With delayed tanning, the skin increases its production and distribution of dark pigment. The skin also becomes thicker. These changes can follow sunburning or develop gradually over a long period of repeated brief exposures to sunlight.

Some people burn easily after the first hour of sun exposure following winter or any period away from the sun. Other people, especially those with dark skin, never burn. This difference in reaction makes it possible to classify skin into one of six different types (see Table 2-2).

Table 2-2
Classification of Skin Types

The risk of skin cancer from the sun generally follows the same pattern. Darker skinned people have lower risk of sun-induced skin cancer. The person most prone to skin cancer caused by sunlight tans poorly and suffers sunburn easily. Frequent and/or intense sunburn in children with fair skin and freckles has been linked to malignant melanoma later in life.

Heredity

For reasons not completely understood, people with Celtic heritage (Irish, Scottish or Northern European) have increased risk of skin cancer from the sun. Genetic diseases that affect the skin can also increase the risk. For example, albinism, a genetic condition which prevents the production of normal skin pigments, makes the skin sensitive to ultraviolet light.

Exposure to Chemicals

Exposure to certain chemicals can increase the skin's sensitivity to ultraviolet light through a process called photosensitization. Examples of such chemicals include:

• coal tar pitch and petroleum products containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs),
• certain printing chemicals used in photosensitive printing processes,
• certain drugs and antibiotics such as tetracyclines, sulfonamides, thiazide diuretics, chlorpromazine, oral contraceptives, and
• chemicals called psoralens found naturally in certain plants, fruits and vegetables.

Antibiotics must be taken internally before the skin becomes sensitive to sunlight. However, simple skin contact with psoralens, which are found in figs, parsnips, citrus plants, or moldy celery, can make the skin more susceptible to sunburns in some individuals.

Immuno-Compromised Organ Transplant Patients

Organ transplant patients usually take immuno-suppressive drugs to reduce the body’s rejection of the transplanted organ. Suppression of the immune system by heavy doses of drugs after transplant surgery contribute to the incidence of skin cancer. Approximately 35 to 70 percent of organ transplant patients develop skin cancer within 20 years following transplant surgery, depending on geographic location. Some transplant recipients have more than 100 squamous cell carcinomas a year. More alarmingly, some long-term transplant patients actually die from skin cancer.