Cricketers like Michael Clarke have to stay in the bright sunlight for hours during the match. According to doctors, this is the reason why Clarke got skin cancer.

Former Australian cricket captain Michael Clarke is once again in the headlines. Actually, he recently underwent another surgery on his nose due to skin cancer. Let us tell you that Michael Clarke got this problem due to playing cricket for hours in the sun. In such a situation, the question arises whether spending too much time in the sun causes skin cancer and how dangerous this disease is. Let us know about its symptoms, tests, and prevention methods.

Michael Clarke posted this.

Michael Clarke posted on Instagram on 29 August (Friday). He said that he has undergone the sixth surgery of his nose due to skin cancer. He wrote that skin cancer cases are very common in Australia. Today I got another lump removed from my nose. I am reminding everyone to keep getting their skin checked. It is worth noting that Michael Clarke was diagnosed with this disease for the first time in the year 2006. He got this problem due to playing for hours in the sun on the cricket field. Now at the age of 44, Clarke is once again fighting this disease.

Why is skin cancer more common in Australia?

Cricketers like Michael Clarke have to stay in the bright sunlight for hours during the match. According to doctors, this is the reason why Clarke got skin cancer. During 2019, three lumps were removed from his forehead, which were non-melanoma skin cancer. Now surgery has been done on the nose. Clarke says that the sun rays are very strong in Australia, so there are the highest cases of skin cancer there. 

Why does skin cancer occur?

Skin cancer is caused by abnormal growth of skin cells. The biggest reason for this is the ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun. When we stay in the sun for a long time, these rays damage the DNA of the skin. This causes the cells to grow out of control and turn cancerous. People like Clarke, who used to stay in the sun while playing cricket, are at a higher risk. Other reasons include fair skin, family history of cancer, weak immunity system and exposure to chemicals. Tanning beds or artificial UV lights can also cause cancer. The ozone layer in Australia is thin, due to which the risk of UV rays is high. This is the reason why there are a lot of cases of skin cancer in Australia.

How many types of skin cancer are there?

There are three types of skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma is the most common of these, which grows slowly. Squamous cell carcinoma comes second, which occurs in the upper layer of the skin. The third is melanoma cancer, which is the most dangerous and spreads rapidly. Clark has mostly suffered from non-melanoma type of cancer, which is less dangerous, but can repeat again and again.

Symptoms of skin cancer

The symptoms of skin cancer seem small in the beginning, but ignoring them can become a big threat. If a new lump or spot is growing on the skin, then attention is needed. Apart from this, change in the color, size or shape of the old mole, wound not healing, bleeding from the itchy area are also symptoms of skin cancer. If such signs are seen, then consult a doctor, because 95 percent of cases are cured if detected early.

These tests detect skin cancer

The best way to detect skin cancer is through regular checkups. In this, the disease is detected through visual examination, dermoscopy, biopsy etc. If you spend a lot of time in the sun, then you should definitely get a skin checkup done once a year.

How can we protect ourselves?

If you want to avoid skin cancer, you should go out in the sun less. If it is necessary to go out in the sun, you should use sunscreen. Also, you should wear full sleeve clothes, hat and glasses. Tanning increases the risk of skin cancer.