Among the most insidious and widespread skin diseases is certainly Melanoma, a skin cancer that has grown significantly in recent decades but whose etiology remains poorly understood to date.
In practice, since melanoma can be ascribed to family history and genetic causes for between 5 and 15%, for the remaining percentage the etiology would be ascribable to mainly environmental factors.
As much as the increase and spread can be partly explained by etiologic factors involving predisposition to the disease by specific genetic characteristics, for the remainder the other factors are all environmental, and at most, related to somatic features potentially susceptible to the development of melanoma.
Thus, the action of sunlightis the most accredited and agreed upon cause of the occurrence of melanoma, favored by particular skin types (melanin, pigments) of affected individuals, in whom the lesions caused by sunburn can evolve to polymorphisms and neoplasms.
Thus, it is environmental factors that are so crucial in explaining the significant morbidity of the disease and the spread in different strata of the population, helped also by the considerable contribution from the world of work and professions.
Melanoma is present as an occupational disease in a number of fields, so much so that it is possible to map the types of work, the surrounding environment, and the extent of melanoma risk present, according to which there are occupations where the risk becomes higher or lower.
Some three work activities most at risk of melanoma:
Farmer
The sun on the skin and face when the farmer works outdoors in the fields, continuous exposure to pesticides, fertilizers and chemicals, exposure to viruses and bacteria from animals can cause some types of cancer in very high rates. Many possible types of cancer from stomach and brain cancers to leukemic forms, skin cancers, and melanoma.
Sailor/Fisher
For sailors placed to steer boats or for fishermen intent on open sea fishing, there are many hours spent in the air and wind and under the sun’s rays in all seasons. The mix of light with UV rays, scorching sun and wind can affect the skin opening a possible pathway to melanoma or skin cancers.
Like these still other works that of the workers working as masons or carpenters on buildings under construction, flight attendants e pilots, who work at high altitudes in equipment where strong sunlight, UVA and ionizing radiation are present, with levels of melanoma morbidity twice as high as the general data.
Even unsuspected activities and occupations, such as an office job, when they include for some reason the presence of risk factors can prove dangerous for the development of various cancers or melanoma.
