Educate Yourself: Skin Cancer and Your Risk
- Christine
- Jul 22, 2015
- 3 min read
Summer is in full swing, and people are hitting the beaches, the lakes, the mountains, the trails, wherever it is you are going on your vacation. When people are outside having fun, it is so easy to forget that it’s been hours since you last applied sunscreen, something that is so vitally important. Why is it so important? Because skin cancer is most prominent cancer diagnosed each year. After perusing the American Cancer Society’s website, I learned a few things about skin cancer, and am going to lay some knowledge on you.
I’m going to talk about two types of skin cancer in this edition, basal and squamous cancer and melanoma.
Basal and squamous cancers are named after the cells they develop in, and account for 3.5 diagnosed cases of skin cancer each year. These cancers often develop on areas of skin most commonly exposed to the skin, particularly the face, ears, neck, and even your lips. Basal and squamous cancers, if detected early are curable and typically do not spread.
Melanoma is a much scarier type of skin cancer. Melanoma affects the cells that create skin pigmentation (melanin) and can be found anywhere – even parts of the body that never see the light of day, or really weird places, like the eyes, mouth, and under fingernails. The scary part about melanoma is that it can and will spread. While it’s a rare form of skin cancer, melanoma accounts for the most skin cancer related deaths (13,000!).
So what does all this mean? That you should never go outside again? No. It means you should be safe, and understand your risk. If you have a paler complexion, are exposed to chemicals such as coal tar or arsenic, hit the tanning bed, have a family history of skin cancer, or have had severe sunburns in the past, your risk of developing skin cancer is heightened.
If any of the above apply to you, (and let’s face it, who hasn’t fried to a deep shade of lobster red at the beach before?) know the signs! These include:
change in size/color of a mole or beauty mark
change in the way an area of skin looks (scaly, rough, bleeding)
A sore that won’t heal
Change in sensation (itchiness, pain/tenderness)
And now, possibly the most important part, PREVENTION. Skin cancer can be prevented through some pretty simple measures. First of all, limit your sun exposure, and always, always, ALWAYS wear sunscreen! Wear a hat and sunglasses, and gentlemen, I know you love showing off your abdomen, but wear a shirt! Not because I don’t want to see you shirtless, but because I don’t want you to get skin cancer! Also, understand that sunscreen does not offer protection from all UV rays, so don’t slap on sunscreen and think you can bake for hours and hours in the blistering sun. And also don’t forget that UV rays can penetrate clouds, so even on overcast days, you run the risk of getting sunburn and damaging your skin.
You only get one body, and far too many people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year. Preventative measures can help decrease this number, and early detection can help save a life. So when you’re hitting the beaches this summer, remember to bring an umbrella, show off that new, cute hat that looks fabulous on you, and stock up on the sunscreen!
More information can be found at cancer.org
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