Maria Enriquez Skin Cancer 1 Skin cancer: an analysis of the developmental association.

Skin Cancer: the new common cancer Maria Enriquez UTEP English 1312 September 13, 2013

Maria Enriquez Skin Cancer 2 Skin cancer is a disease that has been around for many years and targets the most vulnerable yet important skin structures. Using the following two genres to help analyze and explain the importance of public awareness of skin cancer, it is easy to show how one can prevent this illness. If we can somehow seek to eliminate tanning salons that are proven to be linked to skin cancer maybe we may be able to produce a much more healthy younger society. Using both the Macmillan Cancer Support website and a journal article found on British Medical Journal titled Indoor tanning and non melanoma skin cancer: systematic review meta-analysis, we can further analyze the issues of having tanning beds accessible to the public. The Macmillan Cancer Support website is used primarily to inform the general public of the harms that come from acquiring skin cancer. The British Medical Journal article on the other hand was used to show how tanning salons increase the likelihood of having skin cancer. The Macmillan Cancer Support website primarily serves as an informative website for the general public by using easy to understand language by using laymans terms; they often start as a small, red shiny spot or nodule that may bleed occasionally instead of getting in depth with medical terminology (Macmillan Cancer Support). The website is dedicated to raising awareness by answering questions that the general public might have; information on skin cancer, including how it is diagnosed, treatments you might have, possible side effects and how to get further support (Macmillan, 2011). While this statement may be to open and unreliable, on the website there is an icon labeled The Information Standard Certified member, which allows for a little more credibility (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2011). The audience is already aware that skin cancer exists and the information is not too complex to read or understand which allows for a better understanding of the information used. Overall the main purpose of the website is to inform and persuade the reader to take action on fighting skin cancer.

Maria Enriquez Skin Cancer 3 The British Medical Journal article on the other hand allows for a different analysis. The articles main audience is medical student who a currently participating in clinical research and the effects of indoor tanning as indicated by the opening statements in the research. The audience is already aware that indoor tanning is associated with the production of skin cancer due to the exposure to high levels of ultraviolet radiation. However, the research was used to prove just how harmful the exposure can be; On the basis of data from three studies, use of indoor tanning before age 25 was more strongly associated with both squamous cell carcinoma (British Medical Journal, 2012). The article is used to inform and persuade others to not visit tanning salons and care for their skin hoping that a much more aware audience will help reduce the rates of skin cancer. The language is formal and very explanatory with a lush usage of medical terminology and references citing previous research. The specialized vocabulary that this journal article uses is non-melanoma, meta-analysis, carcinogen, and malignant melanoma among a few (British Medical Journal, 2012). Both of the articles are similar in the sense that they both stress the importance of spreading awareness of skin cancer and the harms of tanning salons. On the Macmillan Cancer Support website there are a series of links that contain references and evidence to further confirm the claims provided on the website. Many of the references help establish the websites credibility due to the usage of the word National in the sources itself by hinting that this is an established source. As well as having the seal of the information standard certified member in the website, the Macmillan Cancer Support website clarifies that the information displayed on the website is examined to pass a certain criteria to ensure that it is not only concise but accurate to meet the general audiences needs. Since skin cancer is a very commonly overlooked cancer form, the source attempts to demonstrate the reason why this cancer is overlooked as well as whether or not the form of cancer can be treated or not. The emotions that are evoked are those of shock, fear, and slight aversion to the cancer altogether. As described within the website article; basal cell carcinomavery common

Maria Enriquez Skin Cancer 4 and accounts for more than 75% of all skin cancers (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2011). The claims used in the website are percentages related to the overall occurrence of skin cancer in the UK. The claims presented in the references page do however have a slight bias that could arguably be debated over how accurate the website is. On the other hand, in the British Medical Journal article there is a list of the schools involved in the research study-many of which are well known and trusted medical schools with established credibility. At the end of the journal, there is a detailed list consisting of 48 references of which have established credibility. Many of these journal articles undergo a delicate peer review process that examines the information attained by these schools with a fine tooth comb for credibility. The journal article is attempting to evoke concern, care and incentive to pursue more in depth knowledge about skin cancer. At the end of the article, there is an entire section dedicated to tables demonstrating the information that was gathered through the research. These include the total amount of cases reported to have skin cancer, the form of cancer, and the rates of exposure that affect the research study. The tables are valid pertaining to this particular study; however, they are not fully reliable because the medical students who worked on the research have not established their credibility. In the Macmillan Cancer Support website, the information is organized in the order of frequency, the most common forms of skin cancer are listed at the beginning of the website. Basal cell carcinomavery common and accounts for 75% of all skin cancers, followed by the squamous cell carcinoma, and lastly malignant melanoma (Macmillan Cancer Support, 2011). The website does not offer an opposing view of what are the key causes of skin cancer. The website page only displays a brief summary of what the listed skin cancers are. Since it is a website is should have more freedom to display a vast amount of information and in depth research about skin cancer instead of a brief summarization of the facts. The purpose of the website is to give information about the different forms of skin cancer.

Maria Enriquez Skin Cancer 5 The website is structured in such a way that it allows accomplishing this task by separating the different forms of skin cancer and displaying them in order. By the same token, the information in the British Medical Journal is well organized and easy to find, there is not loss in translation or trouble finding any particular information pertaining to the information collected. The genre helps to communicate the findings of the research study and explain them in better detail as to what steps were taken to reach the concluding evidence. There were some limitations on the study due to the fact that it was a research study that includes medical students who were conducting the research. The journal article is very narrowed down and direct to the point without much room for debate. The structure of the journal article makes it simple to find the information that the audience is searching for by using a common format. This format is the same one used for the scientific method: Ask a question; do background research; construct a hypothesis; test the hypothesis by doing an experiment; analyze your data and draw a conclusion; *and+ communicate your research (Science Buddies, 2013). Even though both genres were equally effective in conveying the message of the skin cancer and the importance of better informing the general audience of the harms that may surge from over exposure to ultraviolet radiation. There was one that performed better than the other and was much more effective in explaining and providing information. The article from the British Medical Journal was much more effective in communicating the reason why it in necessary to have a better education of the harms of tanning salons. The entire article bases evidence using random meta-analysis to summarize the relative risk of use versus never use of indoor tanning (British Medical Journal, 2012). This article was much more effective in conveying the message to the audience.

Maria Enriquez Skin Cancer 6 References British Medical Journal (Published October 2, 2012) Indoor tanning and non melanoma skin cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis. http://www.bmj.com/highwire/filestream/605746/field_highwire_article_pdf/0/bmj.e5909 Macmillan Cancer Support (September 1, 2011) Types of skin cancer. http://www.macmillan.org.uk/Cancerinformation/Cancertypes/Skin/Aboutskincancer/Typesofskincancer .aspx Science Buddies (Copyright 2002-2013) Steps of the Scientific Method: Key Info. http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml