HONG KONG, Oct 29 (Reuters) - Skin cancer, one of the most common cancers among Caucasians, is becoming a problem in Asia as sunbathing and tanning salons take off.

Below are some facts about the disease:

What is it?

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. The first two are slow-growing and easy to treat, but malignant melanoma is a dangerous cancer that spreads very quickly.

How extensive is it?

Between 2 million and 3 million non-melanoma skin cancers and 132,000 melanoma skin cancers occur globally each year. One in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer and, according to Skin Cancer Foundation Statistics, one in every five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

What's the main cause?

As ozone levels are depleted, the atmosphere loses more and more of its protective filter function and more solar ultraviolet radiation reaches the earth's surface. It is estimated that a 10 percent decrease in ozone levels will result in an additional 300,000 non-melanoma and 4,500 melanoma skin cancer cases. However, the main factors that predispose a person to develop melanoma seem to be fair skin, light coloured hair and eyes as well as regular exposure to the sun and a history of sunburn.

What are the signs?

The main signs of skin cancer are asymmetrical moles, moles that have ragged or irregular borders, moles that vary in colour and moles that are larger than a pencil's eraser. These are the warning signs but moles or growths that don't have these characteristics may also be skin cancers and patients should get their doctors to regularly examine moles and skin blemishes.

Treatment:

Early treatment is absolutely essential. For almost all non-melanoma skin cancers and for early melanomas, surgery to remove the cancer and a small amount of surrounding tissue is all that is necessary. If a melanoma has spread, chemotherapy can be used, but it is not usually effective.

(Sources: World Health Organisation, Association for International Cancer Research, Dermatology Research Centre at the Chinse University of Hong Kong)

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