Skin
Cancer: Facts & Guidelines
Skin cancer is the most
common cancer for men and women in the United States. Skin is your body’s
largest organ, protecting you from injury, infection, light and heat, as well
as helping to regulate body temperature, store water and fat and produce vitamin
D. The number of skin cancer cases is increasing every year.
There are three types
of skin cancer:
- Basal cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Melanoma, which develops
in melanocytes in the deepest layer of skin
Skin Cancer Risk Factors
- Sun exposure
- Skin that doesn’t
tan or sunburns or freckles easily
Medical history including:
- Certain types of moles
- Family history of dysplastic
nevus syndrome
- Previous history of
other types of skin cancer
- Use of tanning booths
or other sources of ultraviolet light
Warning Signs of Skin
Cancer
- Patches of rough, scaly
or bleeding skin that does not heal normally
- Moles that are large,
irregular in shape and/or color, bleed, or have changes in any of those
characteristics
Prevention Measures
for Skin Cancer
- Stay out of the sun:
there is no substitute for staying out of the sun, especially during peak
hours from 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.
- Keep young children
safe from serious sunburn: research indicates that melanoma may develop
in adulthood following a serious, blister-causing sunburn during childhood.
- Wear protective clothing:
if you can’t stay out of the sun, wear a hat, long sleeves and sunglasses
(to prevent eye damage).
- Wear sunscreen: if
you are swimming or at the beach and can’t wear protective clothing,
use sunscreen and reapply it regularly. Follow manufacturer’s directions
for application and use a high enough sun protection factor (S.P.F.) number
to afford protection. Ask your pediatrician or doctor about using sunscreen
on infants.
- Recruit a buddy: ask
your spouse or other family member or close friend to regularly check the
areas of your skin you cannot see easily (back, neck, backs of legs, etc.)
for changes in your skin.
Screening guidelines:
- Everyone should do
a monthly skin self-exam.
- A skin examination
should be preformed by a health provider every year.
Services available
through the Cancer Prevention Institute:
Skin Cancer screenings
are provided annually, in the month of May, at the Cancer Prevention Institute.
Check out our calendar for upcoming screenings,
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