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Medical Minute Protect skin from sun With summer right around the corner, many of us will spend more time outdoors. But while you enjoy the warm weather, don't forget to protect yourself from skin cancer. Skin cancer accounts for roughly half of all reported cancer cases in the United States. It can be dangerous, even deadly, but most skin cancer can be successfully treated if detected in time.
Anyone can develop skin cancer, regardless of race or skin tone. Luckily, many forms of skin cancer can be cured when caught early. Non-melanoma skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, are the most common form, while melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. You may be at increased risk if you have many moles, irregular moles, or large moles; have fair skin that freckles and burns easily; had serious sunburns during childhood; or have previously had skin cancer. Because skin cancers often begin as a mole or wart, it is important that you check your skin regularly. The more familiar you are with your skin, the easier it will be to detect changes. Spring is a great time for you to begin monthly, all-over skin checks. Contact your doctor if you notice that a birthmark or mole changes in symmetry (one half starts to look different from the other); develops ragged or blurred borders; has different shades of browns and blacks; has patches of red, white, or blue or is not the same color all over; or becomes larger than a pencil eraser. Enlist the help of your partner, friend, or relative to check hard-to-see areas, such as your back and scalp. Be sure to check your palms, fingernails, and feet — about half of skin cancers in darker-skinned people are found in these areas. Most skin cancers are caused by too much exposure to UV rays, the invisible radiation given off by the sun or by the artificial light in tanning beds and sunlamps. The American Cancer Society recommends that Americans employ safe sun practices, using the phrase "Slip, Slop, Slap, and Wrap": Slip on protective clothing to cover as much of your skin as possible. Slop on at least a palmful of sunscreen that is SPF-15 or higher about 20 to 30 minutes before you go outside, even on overcast days. Slap on a hat that has a brim. Wear wrap-around sunglasses that absorb at least 99% of UV rays to protect your eyes. For more information on skin cancer and sun safety, visit the ACS website at www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/ped_7.asp. Dr. Douglas Kirkpatrick: President of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. E-mail
comments about this story Posted: June 5, 2008
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