Skin Cancer and Sun Safety

I know it’s a little early for this but since the weather has been so warm in most parts of the county and it is getting closer to summer, I thought I’d share some links on skin cancer and sun safety.  It’s never too early to start protecting yourself.

So you think a tanning bed is safer than being out in the sun?

For information on tanning equipment, visit the EPA website:

http://www.epa.gov/radtown/tanning-equipment.html#resources

Skin cancer treatment: sources of authoritative information

There are many kinds of treatments available depending on the type of cancer.  For melanoma, the options are surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and biologic therapy.  For more information on all aspects of melanoma, visit http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/skin/patient/

For basal cell carcinoma information, visit http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/reference/myBiopsy/SkinBasalCellCarcinoma.pdf

 For treatment information on Merkel cell carcinoma, visit http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/merkel-cell

Squamous cell carcinoma treatment information can be found at http://www.cap.org/apps/docs/reference/myBiopsy/squamous_cell_skin_cancer.pdf

Treatment options vary widely depending on the type of cancer and the stage of the cancer.  It is important to ask your doctor proper questions in order to make an informed decision about your treatment.  The previous links provide authoritative information on the various types of cancer.

For more information on all aspects of skin cancer, visit the MedlinePlus skin cancer page at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/skincancer.html#cat3

Types of Skin Cancer

To see what Basal Cell Carcinoma looks like, please visit the following website from the American Academy of Dermatology:

http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/basal_cell_carcinoma.html

To see what squamous  cell carcinoma looks like, please visit the following website from the American Academy of Dermatology:  http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/squamous_cell_carcinoma.html

To see what melanoma looks like, please visit the following website from the American Academy of Dermatology: http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/melanoma.html

To see what Merkel cell carcinoma looks like and for more information, visit the following web site from the American Academy of Dermatology:  http://www.skincarephysicians.com/skincancernet/whatis_merkel_cell.html

Skin Cancer Self-Examination and Prevention

It is important to protect yourself in order to prevent skin cancer or to find it early.  For a great sheet with instructions for skin cancer self-examination, check out:  http://www.melanomamonday.org/documents/08_96%20Melanoma%20Monday%20Mole%20Map.pdf

For more information on protecting kids from the sun, visit http://kidshealth.org/parent/firstaid_safe/outdoor/sun_safety.html

With the overwhelming amount of sun protection products, it’s important to understand what all those claims mean.  The FDA is in the process of finalizing its long-awaited label changes to sunscreens.  One of those changes would be that no sunscreen would have higher than a 50 SPF.  All those claims of high SPF numbers and all the other claims can be very confusing.  To find out more information on sun protection and sunscreens, visit http://www.medicinenet.com/sun_protection_and_sunscreens/article.htm

Have you seen all those ads for special sun-protective clothing and wondered if it’s worth it?  Here’s a great article from the Mayo Clinic answering that very question:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sun-protective-clothing/AN01975

The CDC has some great information on skin cancer and covering up when out in the hot summer sun.  Although the campaign has officially ended, they still have a lot of great information available online.  Check out these sites:

Choose Your Cover Campaign Materials

Brochures

Sunscreen for Your Sun Day [PDF-248KB]

Play It Safe in the Sun: A Guide for Parents [PDF-147KB]

Choose Your Cover [PDF-85KB]

May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection & Prevention Month

Since warmer weather is on its way and people will be outside more, I thought I’d post some information on skin cancer. There are links below to more detailed information on the various kinds of skin cancer.

There are three main types of skin cancer that get their names from the types of cells involved: Melanoma, basal cell and squamous cell.

Here are more detailed descriptions from the National Cancer Institute:

Melanoma: Melanoma begins in melanocytes (pigment cells). Most melanocytes are in the skin. See the picture of a melanocyte and other skin cells. Melanoma can occur on any skin surface. In men, it’s often found on the skin on the head, on the neck, or between the shoulders and the hips. In women, it’s often found on the skin on the lower legs or between the shoulders and the hips.Melanoma is rare in people with dark skin. When it does develop in people with dark skin, it’s usually found under the fingernails, under the toenails, on the palms of the hands, or on the soles of the feet.

Basal cell skin cancer: Basal cell skin cancer begins in the basal cell layer of the skin. It usually occurs in places that have been in the sun. For example, the face is the most common place to find basal cell skin cancer.

In people with fair skin, basal cell skin cancer is the most common type of skin cancer.

Squamous cell skin cancer: Squamous cell skin cancer begins in squamous cells. In people with dark skin, squamous cell skin cancer is the most common type of skin cancer, and it’s usually found in places that are not in the sun, such as the legs or feet.However, in people with fair skin, squamous cell skin cancer usually occurs on parts of the skin that have been in the sun, such as the head, face, ears, and neck.

PREVENTION

The best way to prevent skin cancer is to protect yourself from the sun’s rays when you are outside. Here are some suggestions:

Since the sun’s rays are strongest during the middle part of the day, avoid being outdoors between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. If you have to be outside, stay in the shade as much as possible.

Wear protective clothing: long-sleeve shirts and long pants, wide-brimmed hats that go all the way around so they protect your neck as well as your face.

Watch out for reflected rays that bounce off water, sand, snow and ice. The harmful rays can also penetrate windshields and windows in cars.

Apply sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 a half hour before going outside or after swimming. Reapply it every 2 hours while outside.

DETECTION

You should regularly exam your skin for suspicious moles and other lesions. This can lead to early detection and successful treatment of skin cancer. The American Academy of Dermatology has an excellent description of how to perform skin self-examination. Check out this wonderful resource: Skin Examinations

Here are some other links to more detailed information about the different kinds of skin cancer:

What You Need to Know about Melanoma and Other Skin Cancers (National Cancer Institute)

Anyone Can Get Skin Cancer (National Cancer Institute)

Basic Information about Skin Cancer (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Skin Cancer (American Academy of Dermatology)

Melanoma

With the summer months just around the corner, it is important to protect yourself against the harmful rays of the sun. Previous posts talked about things you can do to protect yourself from harmful ultraviolet rays. This post talks about melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer. Often the first sign of melanoma is a change in the size, shape, color or feel of a mole. Most melanomas have a black or black-blue area. Melanoma may also appear as a new mole. It may be black, abnormal or "ugly looking."

Thinking of "ABCD" can help you remember what to watch for:

Asymmetry - the shape of one half does not match the other
Border - the edges are ragged, blurred or irregular
Color - the color in uneven and may include shades of black, brown and tan
Diameter - there is a change in size, usually an increase

Melanoma can be cured if it is diagnosed and treated early. If melanoma is not removed in its early stages, cancer cells may grow downward from the skin surface and invade healthy tissue. If it spreads to other parts of the body it can be difficult to control.

For more information on melanoma, visit the comprehensive MedlinePlus melanoma page at:
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/melanoma.html.