Skin cancer

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/skin-cancer

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the primary carcinogen?Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from sunlight and tanning devices
2. What is the key genes involved in mutations?TP53 (tumor suppressor), Hedgehog pathway genes (BCC)
3. What causes skin cancer?Skin cancer starts when skin cells grow too fast because of damage from the sun's UV rays.
4. Why is sunscreen important?Sunscreen blocks or absorbs the sun's UV rays, helping protect skin cells from getting damaged and turning into cancer.

Carcinogenesis: The process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells.
Apoptosis: Programmed cell death, a crucial mechanism for eliminating damaged or unwanted cells.
Tumor Suppressor Gene: A gene that normally inhibits cell division or promotes cell death; mutations can lead to cancer.
Metastasis: The spread of cancer cells from the primary tumor site to other parts of the body.