Everyone knows that ultraviolet radiation can cause skin cancer. On the other hand, there are several very useful treatments in medicine that rely on ultraviolet radiation. How can these two facts be accepted and combined?
Ancient Egyptians
The first mentions of ultraviolet treatment are associated with Ancient Egypt. Even 3,500 years ago, the Egyptians treated vitiligo (white spots on the skin) with special herbs that had to be taken internally and then walked in the sun. It turns out that in those herbs there was an analogue of the medicine that is now being used for phototherapy for psoriasis.
Skin cancer risk
When treating psoriasis with ultraviolet light, the risk of skin cancer does increase, but not immediately, but only after about 150 procedures.
As for the risk of developing melanoma, it rises 15 years after the start of psoriasis treatment.
All these passions, oddly enough, are associated with mild ultraviolet radiation of the UVA range. It is used in tanning salons and for the classic phototherapy of psoriasis.
Modern lamps for the treatment of psoriasis use a narrow range, from which, it seems, nothing bad happens.
Our native middle range
In the mid-wavelength range of ultraviolet radiation, which is called UVB, nothing bad was noticed either. And here I was wondering how our native domestic treatment with ultraviolet radiation will affect the joints on the risk of skin cancer?
There, the burn is done mainly in the middle range. The skin turns red, and if it were in the sun, then such a burn would then increase the risk of melanoma. We have already discussed this in the story about melanoma and sunburn in childhood.
But we are talking about a controlled burn in a hospital and not by the sun, but by a lamp. If this light is used to treat joint pain, then several exposures will be given in a lifetime. And skin cancer is more common in those who have received hundreds of exposures. It seems to me that ultraviolet burns on your knees will not lead to anything bad. It uses low-power but evil short-wave lamps that are far from sunlight, do not penetrate deeply and cause superficial burns.
In any case, do not use a tanning bed or buy home UV lamps. Better consult your doctor.
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