Impact of climate change on skin cancer

Abstract

Climate change refers to the global shift in weather patterns occurring over long periods of time. These changes encompass temperature, rainfall, wind speeds and cloud cover. Climate change has accelerated rapidly in the past half century and while international focus has concentrated on the environmental and economic consequences, the effects on human diseases such as skin cancer have been relatively under-represented. The association between ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun and the development of malignant skin disease has long been recognized but is still not completely understood. The relationship between climate change and UV exposure will be explored in an attempt to qualify the impact of climate change on skin cancer.