What are the other risk factors for skin cancer?

Strong skin cancer risk factors include family history, total cumulative sun exposure, the number of blistering sunburns, multiple atypical moles, immunosuppression, and occupational exposure to coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds, or radium. Lifetime cumulative sun exposure directly correlates with basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma risk. Individuals who are exposed to the sun on a daily basis, such as farmers, fishermen, and construction workers, are at high risk for developing nonmelanoma skin cancer. Sunburns are directly related to melanoma risk. One study reported a 2.5- to 6.3-fold increased melanoma risk for a person with a history of three or more blistering sunburns. For this reason, indoor workers such as health care professionals and office workers who experience intense, intermittent sun exposure are more prone to developing melanoma.