Celebrating Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of summer. It also marks the beginning of the season when we’re exposed to the sun more often – ball games, beaches and afternoons gardening.
While basking in the sunshine for up to 15 minutes per day, 3 days per week is enough to produce the body’s requirement of Vitamin D, longer than that increases your chances of developing skin cancer. Each year, more than 3.5 million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer, with more than 90% of those being caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
To help you savor the sunny days of summer, without permanently challenging your health, learn about the main types of skin cancer, warning signs and and skin cancer prevention.
Skin cancer is named for the type of cells that become malignant. Here are the 3 most common kinds:
Squamous Cell – This form begins in the squamous cells, but appears in various places for different skin colors. In dark skinned people, this form more often appears in areas not exposed to the sun, such as legs or feet. In light skinned people, it appears in area with excessive sun exposure, including the head, face, ears and neck.
Basal Cell – Beginning in the basal cell layer of skin, this skin cancer most commonly appears on the face. This is the most common form of skin cancer for light skinned people.
Melanoma – Named for melanocytes – pigment cells – that are in the skin, this is the most deadly form of skin cancer. Occurring most often in lighter skinned people, it usually appears on the legs, hips and shoulders. On darker skinned people, it generally develops under the finger and toe nails, and the palms or soles.
It is vital to get all skin abnormalities checked by a dermatologist. While some may prove to be moles or other skin conditions, it’s best to treat skin cancer as quickly as possible. Untreated skin cancer can spread throughout the body – called metastasis – and enter the blood vessels, or lymph vessels and nodes. The cancer can also spread to other tissues in the body and form new tumors.
Here are some warning signs of skin cancer that call for immediate attention by a doctor:
- A spot or sore that continues to itch, hurt, scab, erode or bleed
- An open sore that does not heal after 2 weeks
- A skin growth, beauty mark, mole or brown spot that:
- Changes color or appears pearly, translucent, tan, brown, black or multicolored
- Changes texture
- Increases in size or thickness
- Is asymmetrical
- Is irregular in outline or border
- Is bigger than a pencil eraser tip
- Appears after age 21
Here are 5 tips to help prevent skin cancer:
- Stay in the shade from 10 am to 4 pm
- Refrain from sunburns
- Avoid tanning beds
- Wear long sleeves and broad-brimmed hats
- Use a sunscreen with SPF of 15 or higher every day
Besides performing monthly self-exams, have a professional skin cancer exam each year or more often if you have a family history of skin cancer.
If this information has been helpful, consider sharing it with a family member or friend.
Sources
http://www.sharecare.com/health/skin-cancers/what-different-types-skin-cancer
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/skin/page4
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/prevention-guidelines/preventing-skin-cancer
http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/sun-protection/prevention-guidelines/preventing-skin-cancer
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