The Farah Saeed Project

Open your eyes in a place where you feel good…

Skin Cancer Awareness Month

What Are The Causes And Risk Factors Of Skin Cancer?

Race

Ultraviolet Radiation

The effect of UV light radiation on the skin
The effect of the different forms of UV radiation on the skin
The impact of UV radiation on the DNA

Gender

Previous Radiotherapy Treatment

Biological Agents

The mode of action of methotrexate
The mode of action of Abatacept and Rituximab on the immune system
Rituximab

Viral Infections

A clinical presentation of rashes in patients with HIV
A clinical presentation of different types of warts common in patients with HPV.

Organ Transplantation

The process of allogenic bone marrow transplantation of stem cells from the bone marrow of a genetically non-identical donor to the recipient. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that can be extracted to repair injury and promote growth. Other forms of allogenic transplantation can be the transfer of tissues and organs.
A clinical presentation of Actinic Keratoses

Chemical Exposure

Pre-existed Lesions

A clinical presentation of Bowen’s disease

Genetics

The mediated effects of the normal tumour suppressor protein called p53
The role of the cyclin-dependent kinase in cell division
How the CDK activates its specific cyclin proteins
The various cyclin-CDK combinations that regulate the cell cycle

Skin Conditions

Albinism

A family tree diagram presenting the probability or chance of a child having Albinism if one parent carries the Albinism gene. The red-orange gene presents the Albinism. Albinism is an autosomal recessive condition, but some forms are X-linked.
The structure of a blood vessel
Common symptoms of patients with Albinism

Benign pigmental naevi

A clinical presentation of Benign pigmental naevi

Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

Distinguishable structural features of the skin in patients with and without Junctional Epidermolytic Bullosa, namely erosion of the epidermis and blistering between the epidermis and dermis, where the basement membrane is no longer stable.
A microscopic examination and clinical presentation of patients with epidermolysis bullosa.

Xeroderma Pigmentosum

A clinical presentation of Xeroderma Pigmentosum
A microscopic examination of common features in patients with Xeroderma Pigmentosum

Psoriasis

The characteristic features of psoriasis. The keratin layer appears inflamed with multiple scales and plaques.
Types of Psoriatic Rashes

Chronic Wounds

Cancers

Psoralen–UVA therapy

Types of Vitiligo

Obesity

What Is Obesity?

The graph presents the height, weight, and reference ranges for different BMI classifications.
The graph presents the Body Mass Index for boyagedes 2 to 20 years old.
The graph presents the Body Mass Index for girls aged 2 to 20 years old.

Are You Unsure Of How To Calculate BMI?

The National Health Service (NHS) has provided a guide on how to calculate one’s BMI. Please click the link below

https://www.nhs.uk/health-assessment-tools/calculate-your-body-mass-index/

The Role Of Leptin

The functions of leptin
Leptin is a form of a hormone that is produced by a secreting cell and binds to a target cell.
The location of the papilla
The structure of the hair follicle
The hair anatomy

The Function Of The Leptin Hormone

A summary of the different roles of leptin

What happens when there is dysfunction of the leptin?

The effects of the leptin signalling pathway

What Conditions Is Leptin Associated With?

What Is Inflammation?

The process of the inflammatory response
An alternative presentation of the inflammatory response

Theories On The Role Of Obesity And Leptin In Skin Cancer

Theory One: Leptin Resistance
The responses to the brain during the normal state, low levels of leptin, and its resistance.
An illustration presenting what happens in the body when there is sensitisation and resistance towards Leptin
The cerebrospinal fluid, where leptin circulates in the microvessels.
The Blood-brain barrier
Theory Two: Increase in proliferation connects leptin with obesity and enhances the risk of migration and angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis
The difference between vasculogenesis, angiogenesis, and arteriogenesis. EPC refers to the endothelial progenitor cells.

Theory three: Leptin can induce mitosis

The key steps involved in mitosis

Theory four: Cav-1 and FASN expression

Homo-oligomers
Hetero-oligomers
A visual explanation of the difference between homo-oligomer and hetero-oligomer. a) Homo-oligomer where all parts are the same. b) Hetero-oligomer where two colours are presented but vary in the sequence,e and c) Hetero-oligomer where two colours are presented alternately.
The formation of proteins.
The function of P-glycoprotein

Theory five: Obesity forms a pro-cancerous microenvironment

Theory six: Obesity promotes mesenchymal cell phenotype to induce metastasis

The structure of the cell membrane and extracellular matrix
An illustration of the Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition
An alternative presentation of EMT

Recommended Sources

Spotting Cancer: Skin Cancer Guide

Skin Cancer BookletDownload

References

Arbel, Y., Arbel, Y., Kerner, A. and Kerner, M. (2023). Is obesity a risk factor for melanoma? BMC Cancer, 23(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12885-023-10560-8.

Bernstein, S. (2024). What Are Psoralens? Available at: https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/psoriasis/what-are-psoralens (Accessed: 8th February 2026)

Bhowmick, S., Biswas, T., Ahmed, M., Roy, D., and Mondal, S. (2023). Caveolin-1 and lipids: Association and their dualism in oncogenic regulation. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Reviews on Cancer, 1878(6), p.189002. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189002.

Biology Insights (2025) What Causes Leptin Resistance & How to Reverse It? Available at: https://biologyinsights.com/what-causes-leptin-resistance-how-to-reverse-it/ (Accessed: 9th February 2026)

‌Cassidy, J., Bissett, D., Spene, R., and Payne, M. (2010). Oxford Handbook of Oncology. Oxford: Oxford University Press

Dopytalska, K., Baranowska-Bik, A., Roszkiewicz, M., Bik, W. and Walecka, I. (2020). The role of leptin in selected skin diseases. Lipids in Health and Disease, 19(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-020-01391-8.

Jiménez-Cortegana, C., López-Saavedra, A., Sánchez-Jiménez, F., Pérez-Pérez, A., Castiñeiras, J., Virizuela-Echaburu, J.A., de la Cruz-Merino, L. de la and Sánchez-Margalet, V. (2021). Leptin, Both Bad and Good Actor in Cancer. Biomolecules, 11(6), p.913. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/biom11060913.

Karantanos, T., Karanika, S., Wang, J., Yang, G., Dobashi, M., Park, S., Ren, C., Li, L., Basourakos, S.P., Hoang, A., Efstathiou, E., Wang, X., Troncoso, P., Titus, M., Broom, B., Kim, J., Corn, P.G., Logothetis, C.J,. and Thompson, T.C. (2016). Caveolin-1 regulates hormone resistance through lipid synthesis, creating novel therapeutic opportunities for castration-resistant prostate cancer. Oncotarget, 7(29), pp.46321–46334. doi: https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.10113.

Modak, S., Aktar, T., Majumder, D., Singha, A.Kr. and Maiti, D. (2025). A systematic review on leptin’s role in defining cancer: special emphasis on immunomodulation, inflammation, and therapeutic interventions. Genes & Immunity, 26(3), pp.266–286. doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41435-025-00333-7.

Neagu, M. and Dobre, E.-G. (2024). New Insights into the Link Between Melanoma and Obesity. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, pp.851–867. doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-63657-8_28.

Roky, A.H., Islam, M.M., Fuad, M., Mostaq, M.S., Mahmud, M.Z. Amin, M.N., and Mahmud, M.A. (202.4). Overview of skin cancer types and prevalence rates across continents. Cancer Pathogenesis and Therapy, 3(2). doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpt.2024.08.002.

Scott, F.I., Mamtani, R., Brensinger, C.M., Haynes, K., Chiesa-Fuxench, Z.C., Zhang, J., Chen, L., Xie, F., Yun, H., Osterman, M.T., Beukelman, T., Margolis, D.J., Curtis, J.R., and Lewis, J.D. (2016). Risk of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer Associated with the Use of Immunosuppressant and Biologic Agents in Patients with a History of Autoimmune Disease and Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer. JAMA Dermatology, 152(2), p.164. doi: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2015.3029.

‌Su, X., Cheng, Y. and Chang, D. (2021). The Important Role of Leptin in Modulating the Risk of Dermatological Diseases. Frontiers in Immunology, [online] 11. doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2020.593564.

Updated: February 2026 Next Review: May 2028

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