Basal Cell Carcinoma Causes & Risks

Causes

Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light through time spent in the sun—particularly as a child—is recognized as the primary cause of basal cell carcinoma. However, the growth results from a combination of sun exposure and genes that make developing the cancer more likely.

Risk Factors

A risk factor is something that increases your chance of getting a disease or condition.

The following factors increase your chance of developing basal cell carcinoma:

• Childhood sunburns , freckling, or long periods of sun exposure
• Fair skin that rarely tans
• Blue or green eyes
• Blonde or red hair
• A family history of skin cancer
• A personal history of skin cancer
• Treatment that suppresses the immune system, such as that prescribed for people who have had an organ transplant
• History of radiation treatment
• Swallowing arsenic
• Certain rare genetic disorders, such as Gorlin’s syndrome—an inherited group of multiple defects involving the skin, nervous system, eyes, endocrine glands, and bones
• Frequent use of tanning beds