As detailed in this thread there are several Dopers, including myself, who have had 2nd degree sunburns.
A few of us even mention that we have permanent scarring (freckling and suchlike) on our skin from this exposure.
So, doctors, what are the odds for skin cancer later in life from one such incident? I can’t imagine anyone being foolish enough to do such a thing twice. I, for one, missed work for a week with my little misadventure.
And what practices are recommended to catch skin cancer, if it occurs, early enough to not be killed by it?
I don’t know odds, but I went to a dermatologist for an unrelated issue, and he checked me for unusual moles and such. I’d never had severe burns or anything, but he still recommended coming in annually or so to be checked over, as early detection is so important in skin cancers. Dermatologists can do checks for you and keep an eye out for problems in places you can’t see.
A 10% annual increase in sun exposure per year leads to about a 19% increased risk for men and 16% increased risk for women for melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer.
Risk is cumulative, and depends quite a bit on exposure during childhood. The more sun exposure during childhood, the greater risk of melanoma.
Now, to actually address your question, the risk of a single bad exposure is quite low, but not zero. Again, cumulative exposure over time, at a young age, represents the greatest risk.
** Qadgop** I have a releated question for you…Does where the burns were have any bearing on the skin cancer’s location? What I mean is, I’ve gotten burns bad enough to blister on 4 occasions (between the ages of 18 months and 16 years), and they were always on my shoulders. Supposing I did fall prey to skin cancer, would the skin cancer be any more likely to show up where the burns had been than anywhere else on my body? And does the cancer always start out on a mole?
I had at least half a dozen shoulder burns before my twentieth birthday with blisters, and none in the decades since. As I mentioned in my earlier thread, I had severe blistering on my face once. Fortunately, I have no scarring anywhere from sun burns. I’m particularly happy about no scars on my face. Prompt medical attention and avoiding rapid re-exposure are probably to thank. In my middle age, I now have enough maturity, discipline and pain reminders to avoid sun and use sunblock when not avoiding. A hat helps my bald spot.
I’m not a doc or anything, so take this with a grain of salt…but I would think that any repetitive damage to skin…(or any organ) would increase your chances of cancer…
A single severe sunburn early in life DOES substantially increase your chances of skin cancer, according to thesetwo sites.
Neither of these sites quantify they increased risk, but I remember being shocked by the numbers when I heard the news story about the research. I think it at lease doubles your chances. I’ll loook around some more.
I lived in Arizona - Tempe - for 5 years whilst going to graduate school. The first year I was there I drove up to Payson - about an hour and a half - the air was nice, dry, crisp 75 degrees. My window was naturally down and my arm gracefully drapped out the window [I was in the passenger side on the way up, so my arm was facing east] . The sun was on my arm the entire time. On the way back I was also a passenger but the sun had moved to being in the west, so I had complete exposure with no sunscreen for a cumulative time of 3.5 hours. It blistered before 5 o’clock and by 8pm I was in the severe pain. By far the worse burn I have ever received. I have scar tissue on my upper arm with freckles and the whole nine.
Moral…wear sunscreen at all times. I used to kid my sister for sunbathing on the roof of our house when we were kids, saying she was riding the Skin cancer express. Though she shows no signs of it, her friend and co-suntanner has had basil cell carcinoma twice at the age of 36.
Tip I heard from my dermatologist: If it’s red, have it checked. If it’s black and flaking have it checked. If it rapidly changed color have it checked.
I get checked annually by my dermatologist. Why risk it?
elfkin: No, the cancer does not always start on a mole, it can start from ordinary skin tissue. And the tissue that was burned is the site it’s more likely to start at.
Melanoma is probably the worst but not the only bad effect that the sun has on skin. I once saw a woman of about 45 years sunning herself by a swimming pool at a motel. She was obviously a devotee of the “you can’t get too much sun” school. Her skin was about the color and consistancy of an old and well used saddle bag.