Most experts agree that the main cause of skin cancer is overexposure to sunlight, especially when it results in sunburn. Researchers believe sun UV rays damage the skin and, over time, lead to skin cancer.

Although anyone can develop melanoma, the following groups of people have an increased risk of developing the disease:

• people with a personal history of melanoma;
• people with light skin, freckles, blond or red hair, and blue eyes;
• people with a history of prolonged or excessive exposure to the sun, including sunburn with blisters;
• people with an increased number of moles on the skin;
• people who have sunk in the past in the sun;
• people with a family history of melanoma;
• people with weakened immune systems;
• people suffering from conditions such as xeroderma pigmentosum, an inherited disease that affects the skin\’s ability to repair damage to UV radiation.