This summer, Make Skin Cancer Awareness and Prevention a Priority
National Skin Cancer Awareness Month is observed nationwide
each May in an effort to educate the public about the dangers of skin cancer.
Despite widespread warnings of the risks associated with unprotected sun
exposure, approximately two million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer
this year. About 68,000 of these cases will be melanoma, the most serious type
of skin cancer.
“The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing
each year, representing a growing public health concern,” says Quorum Health
Resources Clinical Operations Consultant Christine Delucas, RN. “It has been
estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop
skin cancer at least once in their lives.”
There are three
main types of skin cancer: non-melanoma basal cell carcinoma, non-melanoma
squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.
Non-melanoma basal cell carcinoma and non-melanoma squamous
cell carcinoma are usually found on sun-exposed areas of the body, such as
the face, ears, neck, lips and back of the hands. They typically don’t
spread to other parts of the body and have a high likelihood of being cured if
detected and treated early.
Melanoma
is much more serious and is the most common type of skin cancer among young
adults. Originating in the melanocytes – the cells that produce skin coloring
and pigmentation – melanoma is below the surface and, therefore, more difficult
to detect and diagnose. Malignant melanoma accounts for about 8,700 of the
11,790 skin cancer-related deaths each year.
According to the American Cancer
Society, skin cancer is often curable, if caught and treated in its early
stages. Its symptoms include:
·
Any change in the size or color of a
mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot;
·
Any new skin growth;
·
Scaliness, oozing, bleeding or change
in the overall appearance of a bump or nodule;
·
The spread of pigmentation beyond a
growth’s border, such as dark coloring that spreads past the edge of a mole or
mark; or
·
A change in sensation, itchiness,
tenderness or pain of a growth or spot.
Although unprotected sun exposure has been strongly linked
to skin cancer, the American Cancer Society suggests these other skin cancer risk
factors:
·
Unprotected and/or excessive exposure
to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, such as that used in a tanning bed;
·
Occupational exposures to coal tar,
pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds or radium;
·
Fair complexion;
·
Family history;
·
Multiple or atypical moles; and
·
A history of severe sunburns.
An awareness of risk factors, coupled with regular skin
exams, can greatly reduce your chances of developing skin cancer. And if you
have a suspicious-looking mark or mole, talk to your doctor sooner rather than
later. It’s better to be overly cautious than to ignore a potential problem.
Adams County Hospital clinical staff suggests these tips for
helping prevent skin cancer:
·
Avoid prolonged sun exposure,
especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
·
Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15+ every
day.
·
When going outside for extended
periods, reapply sunscreen every two hours and cover up with clothing,
including a broad-rimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses, whenever possible.
·
Keep newborns out of the sun and
remember that sunscreens should only be used on babies over the age of six
months.
·
Examine your skin from head-to-toe
every month, and see your physician for a professional skin exam every year.
For more information on skin cancer, visit www.cancer.org.
This article is provided courtesy of Adams County Public
Hospital District #2 and Quorum Health Resources.
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