A bout with skin cancer greatly increases a person’s risk of developing other cancers, says the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. After being treated for a nonmelanoma-type skin cancer, the risk for other bodily tumors increases by 57 percent, says a British study of more than 20,000 people. If the skin cancer is of the more serious, melanoma class, researchers found, the risk increases by a full 100 percent. The most likely explanation, the study’s authors say, is that people who get skin cancer have a general genetic susceptibility to cancer. They also may be inclined to engage in cancer-causing activities, including frequent sun exposure, smoking, and eating a lot of fatty, fried foods.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.