The risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma of the skin is increased among fair-skinned individuals who have repeatedly been exposed to strong sunlight, especially individuals who have light hair and light eyes.
Other risks include:
- Excessive sun exposure.
- Use of tanning beds.
- Skin lesions (actinic keratosis).
- History of skin cancer (particularly basal cell carcinoma or melanoma).
- A rare genetic disorder called xeroderma pigmentosum, which causes an extreme sensitivity to sunlight.
- Patients on immunosuppressive drugs after solid organ transplantation.
- People who have multiple moles—often in the hundreds
- People who have a history of blistering sunburns in childhood
While these factors may increase the risk of skin cancer, it is also important to remember that anyone can get skin cancer, even dark skinned people of color, and that having a risk factor does not mean that you will get the disease.
Preventing Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Skin
The best approach to skin cancer is prevention—and when it does occur, early detection is vital to getting the best possible outcome.
The best prevention methods for skin cancer is to avoid sun exposure during peak hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and wear sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or more every day, even in winter.
More prevention methods include:
- Checking your skin once a month.
- Seeing a dermatologist annually.
- Using sunscreen. To be effective, sunscreens should be broad spectrum, at least SPF 30 and waterproof. It also needs to be applied to all exposed areas of the skin and repeated approximately every two hours or after swimming.
- Avoid tanning beds.
- Wearing protective clothing