Causes & Risk Factors Of Squamous Cell Carcinoma
History Of Sunburns

Sun exposure in early life or a history of sunburns can increase an individual's risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma as an adult. Sunburns in adulthood are also a risk factor for SCC. A cancer study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention detailed the dangers of repeated occurrences of sunburn. The subjects were Caucasian women who experienced chronic sun exposure for hours at a time during their teen years.
Participants had at least five occurrences of severe sunburn from ages fifteen to twenty and had a sixty-eight percent increase in their risk for squamous cell carcinoma. The women exposed to the greatest cumulative amounts of ultraviolet radiation in their teen and adult years had a substantially increased risk for developing squamous cell carcinoma.