I would really like to enjoy more time out in the sun, but I'm worried I might get skin cancer. Any advice?
It definitely should be a concern. There's actually three types of it, with the basal-cell, squamous-cell, and melanoma types of skin cancer.
Well I've heard of melanoma before, but what's going on with those other two types? Are those more serious?
Not always. Basal-cell cancer, for example, can occur slowly and result in tissue damage where it is, but it's not likely to spread through your body or kill you.
Oh okay, yeah metastasis is a big cancer baddie. Which of those am I more likely to get just hanging out in the sun for a little while every day?
Any of them are a risk when you're out in the sun. This is mostly because they develop abnormal cells, which can then spread to other areas of your body and invade them.
Maybe I should just be content to stay inside more often then. Getting a tan ain't worth chemotherapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherapy may be given with a curative intent (which almost always involves combinations of drugs), or it may aim to prolong life or to reduce symptoms (palliative chemotherapy). Chemotherapy is one of the major categories of the medical discipline specifically devoted to pharmacotherapy for cancer, which is called "medical oncology"
Squamous cell skin cancer
Squamous-cell skin cancer, also known as cutaneous squamous-cell carcinoma (cSCC), is one of the main types of skin cancer along with basal cell cancer, and melanoma. It usually presents as a hard lump with a scaly top but can also form an ulcer. Onset is often over months. Squamous-cell skin cancer is more likely to spread to distant areas than basal cell cancer.
The greatest risk factor is high total exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the Sun. Other