Skin Cancer—Don’t Forget That:

- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 50,000 people were diagnosed with melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) in 2007. Over 8,000 people died from it.

- According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S. Each year, there are more new cases of skin cancer than of breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer combined.

- Between 40 and 50 percent of Americans who live to the age of 65 will have skin cancer at least once.¹

- Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old, and the second most common for young people 15-29 years old.²

Risk Factors—Be Extra Careful If:

- You’re a white men over age 50 (diagnosed with melanoma more often than any other group).³

- You have blond or red hair, light-colored eyes, and freckled skin that sunburns easily.

- You use or have ever used a tanning bed. (Indoor tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma than those who have never tanned indoors.⁴)

- You got a lot of sunburns when you were a kid or a teen.

- You live at a higher elevation.

- You have a lot of moles.

- Someone in your family—a parent or a sibling—had skin cancer.

- You had a weakened immune system at some point in your life.

Prevention—Protect Yourself:

- Avoid the sun when it is most intense, between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm.

- Wear protective clothing when you go out like UV-protecting sunglasses, long pants and long sleeves, and broad-brimmed hats.

- Always use a safe sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 30. Reapply every two hours, and after exercising, swimming, or sweating.

- Stay away from tanning beds!

- Be extra cautious when you’re on medications—some increase sun sensitivity.

- Check your skin regularly. Watch for moles or dark spots that have an irregular shape, have mixed colors (tan to brown to black), or continue to grow larger than about a quarter inch. Make regular appointments with your dermatologist.

Are you taking care of your skin this summer? Let us know of the steps you’re taking to reduce your risk of skin cancer.

References

1. Sun Protection. Cancer Trends Progress Report – 2009/2010 Update. National Cancer Institute.
2. Bleyer A, O’Leary M, Barr R, Ries LAG (eds): Cancer epidemiology in older adolescents and young adults 15 to 29 years of age, including SEER incidence and survival: 1975-2000. Bethesda, MD: National Cancer Institute; 2006.
3. National Cancer Institute. SEER Stat Fact Sheets: Melanoma of the Skin.
4. Lazovich D, Vogel RI, Berwick M, Weinstock MA, Anderson KE, Warshaw EM. Indoor tanning and risk of melanoma: a case-control study in a highly-exposed population. Cancer Epidem Biomar Prev 2010 June; 19(6):1557-1568.

Photo courtesy hatadventures via Flickr.com.

“I have to admit,” says investigative reporter Heather VanNest, “I almost missed that skin cancer appointment years ago. I thought I had too many other important things to do. It ended up becoming the most important thing I’ve ever done.” Diagnosed with melanoma when she was 29 years old, Heather’s life was saved because of early screening. “If you didn’t come in for a full body skin cancer exam and biopsy,” her doctor told her, “I doubt you would’ve lived to see your 35th birthday.”

Cancer of the skin is the most common of all cancers, hitting more than one million people a year in the U.S. alone. Basal cell and squamous cell rarely spread, and are less worrisome than melanoma, the most serious form. Melanoma accounts for only about 4% of cases, but causes more than 75% of skin-cancer deaths—mostly because it can get into the blood stream, where cancer cells can spread to the liver and lungs. Fortunately, it’s highly curable if caught early.

To protect yourself, check your skin regularly. Research shows enlisting the help of a partner improves early detection. For easy, illustrated steps on how to perform a self exam, check out the skin-self-exam site at the AAD. To find a free cancer screening close to your area, go to this page and type in your city and state, or call your local health department for more information.

The precise cause of skin cancer is unknown, but risk factors include skin color (people with light skin and eye colors are more susceptible), a history of sunburns, excessive tanning, moles, a suppressed immune system, and a personal or family history of melanoma. “Warning signs can include any one of the following symptoms,” says VanNest. “Itching, bleeding, asymmetrical edges, irregular borders, color changes larger than a pencil eraser.”

If you’ve already had skin cancer at one time in your life, be very diligent in your care. “Once a patient is diagnosed with melanoma,” says Dermatologist Jason K. Rivers, MD, “he or she should be checked by a dermatologist as often as every three months to once a year, depending on the individual’s prognosis.”

To help prevent skin cancer, Dermatologist Gary S. Rogers, MD, recommends you use sunblock with an SPF of at least 30. (Try Soleo Organics and California Baby brands.) When in direct sunlight, wear a wide-brimmed hat and long sleeves. Avoid tanning beds, and limit long periods of time outdoors between intense-sunlight hours of 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eat foods rich in antioxidants like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and flax seed; take recommended daily doses of antioxidant supplements; and see your dermatologist regularly.

“The most important factor in beating melanoma and improving survival rates,” says Rivers, “is increased public awareness, as this has been shown to save lives by identifying melanoma at an early, curable stage.”

Did you get your skin-cancer screening this month? Please share your story.

Photo courtesy of moonimage, via Flickr.com.