Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers diagnosed, which is usually the result of ultra-violet radiation from the sun, which makes it a carcinogen that everyone is exposed to. There are three types of skin cancers, categorized by the type of cell damaged which causes the cancer. The most common type of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma, which is defined as “uncontrolled growths or lesions that arise in the skin’s basal cells, which line the deepest layer of the epidermis,” (Skin Cancer Foundation, n.d.). The second type of skin cancer is known as squamous cell …show more content…
A paper by Strum states that individuals with traits such as “red hair, fair skin, lack of tanning propensity and propensity to freckle,” (2002) have an increased risk of melanoma formation. What they found was that all these traits were linked to the human malanocortin-1 receptor (MC1R) which serves as a key participant in the pigmentation of human skin phenotypes (Strum, 2002). Genetic distinctions in three alleles associated with the MC1R all concluded to influence an increased risk of melanoma development (Strum, 2002). This study suggests the linkage of a certain gene or gene group to a specific phenotype, which includes light skinned