TEHRAN – Compared to other cancer types, Iranians suffer from skin cancer most, according to a radiation oncologist on Thursday, where men are more prone to the deadly disease.

Skin cancer is categorized into melanoma and non-melanoma with the latter type being less aggressive, yet more common, IRNA quoted Afsaneh Maddah as saying.
If diagnosed early, the patients with non-melanoma have higher chance of survival.

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, develops in the cells (melanocytes) that produce melanin, the pigment that gives your skin its color. Melanoma can also form in your eyes and, rarely, in internal organs, such as your intestines.

The specialist explained that most non-melanoma skin cancer can be prevented by protecting the skin from the sun and ultraviolet (UV) radiation.

Maddah recommended people limit their exposure to direct sun rays, adding that those who have to be in the sun for long periods of time should use caution and sport hats, gloves, and glasses and apply sunscreen cream.

It is important also to check the skin frequently by taking notes of all the spots and moles on body, she suggested, and see a dermatologist upon noticing any changes in their color, appearance and size.

According to Maddah, non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type of all cancers among Iranian men and second most prevalent for Iranian women.