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Health Tips

Skin Cancer: Early Detection

Skin cancer is the most prevalent of all cancers. It is estimated that more than one million Americans develop skin cancer every year.

Sun avoidance is the best defense against skin cancer.

Over exposure to sunlight (including tanning) is the main cause of skin cancer especially when it results in sunburn and blistering. Other less important factors include repeated medical and industrial x-ray exposure, scarring from diseases or burns, occupational exposure to such compounds as coal and arsenic, and family history. Fair-skinned people who sunburn easily are at particularly high risk for skin cancer.

Prevention means guarding the skin against the known causes of skin cancer. Since the suns ultraviolet rays are the main culprit, the most effective preventive method is sun avoidance.

Seek shade between 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. when the ultraviolet rays are the most intense, especially when your shadow is shorter that you are tall.
Wear light-colored, tightly woven protective clothing, and wide-brimmed hats.
Apply sunscreens with a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of at least 15.

With a SPF of 15 sunscreen applied properly, a fair skin person who sunburns in 20 minutes can tolerate 15 times 20 minutes (300 minutes) without burning. However, the use of sunscreens should not be an excuse to spend extra time in the sun because other sunrays still go through the sunscreen, such as UVA or infrared, which can age the skin and damage the skins immune system.

Begin early use of sun protection in childhood because it is estimated that 80 percent of lifetime sun exposure occurs before age 18. Children under 6 months of age should not have prolonged sun exposure, but if this occurs then a sunscreen should be used.

The use of sunscreen should always be part of a program for sun avoidance and never as an excuse for increased sun exposure.

Early detection is the surest way to a cure.

Develop a regular routine to inspect your body for any skin changes. If any growth, mole, sore or skin discoloration appears suddenly or begins to change, see your dermatologist.

How Skin Cancer is treated.

If a skin biopsy reveals that an area of the skin is cancerous, the dermatologist has an array of surgical procedures to treat the cancer depending on the needs of the individual patient. Early detection and removal offer the best chance for a cure.

Dermatologists recommend that one helpful way to discover early skin cancers is to do periodic self-examinations. Get familiar with your skin and your own pattern of moles, freckles and "beauty marks". Watch for changes in the number, size, shape and color of pigmented areas. Call your dermatologist if any changes are noticed.