The body is made up of millions of different types of cells. Cancer happens when some of the cells multiply in an abnormal way. When cancer affects organs and solid tissues, it causes a growth called a tumour to form. Cancer can occur in any part of the body where the cells multiply abnormally.
How does cancer spread?
Left untreated, cancer can quickly grow and spread, either in the skin or the blood, or to other parts of the body. This usually happens through the lymphatic system.
The lymphatic system is a series of glands that are spread throughout your body and linked together in a similar way to the blood circulation system. If you have a cold or flu, the glands that come up in the neck are the lymph glands (also called lymph nodes). The lymph glands produce many of the cells that are needed by your immune system.
If the cancer reaches your lymphatic system, it can spread to any other part of your body, including your bones, blood and organs.
Melanomas
The leading cause of melanomas is exposure to sunlight. Sunlight contains ultraviolet (UV) light that can affect the skin. There are two main types of UV - ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB). Both UVA and UVB damage skin over time, making it more likely for skin cancers (including melanomas) to develop. Artificial sources of light, such as sunlamps and tanning beds, may also increase your risk of developing melanoma skin cancer.
Risk factors
Factors that increase your risk of developing melanoma include:
- having pale skin that tends to burn and not tan easily
- if a family member has had melanoma
- having red or blonde hair
- having blue eyes
- having a large number of moles
- having a large number of freckles
- having a condition that suppresses your immune system, such as HIV
- taking medicines that suppress your immune system (immunosuppressants)
- having certain rare skin diseases that make you more likely to get skin cancer
All the above risk factors make your skin more sensitive to the effects of the sun.
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