What is white skin cancer?
In the vernacular the term “skin cancer” often refers to the dangerous malignant melanoma. Medically, however, many different types of skin cancer can be distinguished. The so-called “white skin cancer” comprises two different skin diseases, which appear whitish in contrast to the black melanoma.
In detail, the term includes basal cell carcinoma and spinocellular carcinoma. The names already reveal that white skin cancer is also a malignant disease with the possibility of growing, spreading in the body and taking on life-threatening courses. However, it is by far less dangerous than the black skin cancer, which is responsible for most skin cancer deaths. The name “carcinoma” implies that the cancer cells originate from the superficial skin layers, the so-called “epithelia”. This is in contrast to the black skin cancer, which originates from the pigment-producing cells.
Causes of white skin cancer
Causes that promote white skin cancer are lifestyle, genetic factors and contact with toxic substances. Injuries, burns, other pre-damages of the skin or infections with certain pathogens can also trigger cases of white skin cancer. However, the main cause of all white skin cancer is long-term exposure to the sun.
The cumulative exposure to sunlight is mainly responsible, not individual damage in the form of sunburn. Severe sunburn is more of a risk factor for black skin cancer. Cumulative sun exposure is the lifetime cumulative solar radiation that a person collects over the years.
This means that people who spend more time in the sun or in sunny regions of the world are more likely to develop white skin cancer. White skin cancer is therefore also by far the most common skin tumor. Important causes for basal cell carcinoma, the more frequent variant of white skin cancer, are especially genetic changes.
For example, the disease xeroderma pigmentosum favors this cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma, on the other hand, can also develop primarily as a result of injuries, cuts, ulcerations, burns and skin irritations. More rarely, papilloma viruses can also cause squamous cell carcinoma. A vaccination against many of these viruses has been available for several years.
All articles in this series:
