May Is Skin Cancer Awareness Month; Prevention Guidelines Offered

A few fair days this May have already have left some outdoorsy folks with a low-level sunburn, but that rosy glow can also increase an individual’s risk of contracting skin cancer. With more than two million people diagnosed annually, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.

Fortunately, skin cancer is also one of the most preventable forms of cancer. And since May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends the following prevention tips:

1. Seek the shade, especially between 10 am and 4 pm when the sun is strongest. An extra general rule is the “shadow rule.” If your shadow is shorter than you are, the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation is stronger; if your shadow is longer, UV radiation is less intense.

2. Do not burn. A person’s risk for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any point in life.

3. Avoid tanning and UV tanning booths. Indoor UV tanners are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, than those who have never tanned indoors. Tanning bed users are also 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma.

4. Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Clothing can be your most effective form of sun protection, so make the most of it with densely woven and bright- or dark-colored fabrics, which offer the best defense.

5. Use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

6. Keep newborns out of the sun since their skin is extremely vulnerable. Sunscreens should be used on babies over the age of 6 months. Children are very sensitive to ultraviolet radiation — just one severe sunburn in childhood doubles the chances of developing melanoma later in life.

7. Examine your skin head-to-toe every month to detect early warning signs of skin cancer. Any change in an existing mole or a new one that looks suspicious, should be reported to a physician immediately. Learn how to do a thorough self-examination at: SkinCancer.org/selfexamination.

8. See your doctor every year for a professional skin exam. For more information, visit SkinCancer.org.