Age Considerations
Skin Cancer in Children
Fortunately, children rarely develop skin cancer. Exceptions include a child who has inherited a rare genetic condition that causes an extreme susceptibility to sun damage, or a child with one or more very large moles that are present at birth. However, much of the sun damage that causes skin cancer is acquired during childhood.
A sun-induced carcinogenic mutation in a skin cell can be acquired at an early age with no overt sign that it has occurred. Because it isn’t recognizable from the outside and because it may take many years or decades for that mutation to suddenly grow into a skin tumor, it can be a challenge to convince some parents and school authorities of how important it is to promote careful sun protection for children in order to prevent skin cancer.
Seniors
A normal and natural aspect of aging is for the skin to become thinner. Thinner skin has fewer rows of the brick type of skin cells. Normally these cells, which are not prone to become cancerous, absorb a lot of UV which prevents those rays from reaching and damaging the vulnerable stem cells in the base of the epidermis.
As the skin thins, more UV reaches the basal layer which increases the risk of developing skin cancer. For this reason, seniors must be extra careful with their sun protection especially if they enjoy daytime outdoor sports such as golf or tennis. The attire certainly should include long clothing and if possible a broad-brimmed hat.
