Skin cancer a summertime risk

The most common of all cancers is skin cancer, which accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States. Skin cancer’s primary cause is unprotected sun exposure. This could be sobering, as summer is nearly here, and you’ll want to follow the hordes of winter-weary New Englanders into the bright sunshine. However, the most deadly type of skin cancer, melanoma, can be curable if detected early, as are the other skin cancers, including basal and squamous cell carcinomas, which rarely spread to other parts of the body.

The best way to beat cancer, as we all know by now, is to prevent it, or catch it early and treat it promptly. For skin cancer, this means paying attention to any changes in your skin, and having regular skin exams with your physician. Remember to do monthly self-skin checks, examining as best you can, every inch of your skin, including nails and skin folds. Tell your doctor if you notice:

·Any change, be it new growth or change in an existing growth, including change in size, color or shape;

·Any oozing, itching, bleeding or other new symptoms in a bump or growth;

·Any dark color spreading from the edges of a mole or mark; and

·Any spot on your skin that is sore or fails to heal.

Generally, a normal mark on your skin will be symmetrical (each half is a mirror image of the other), smooth at the edges, solid in color, smaller than about a quarter-inch in diameter and unchanging.

To help prevent skin cancer, avoid prolonged, unprotected exposure to the sun. Also important is increasing nutritional intake of vitamin D, as sunscreen blocks the sun as a source for this vitamin, which is critical for our general health. Don’t rely on the sun as a source of vitamin D, rather increase your intake of vitamin D-rich foods such as salmon or milk or take a daily supplement.

Skin cancer has other risk factors, such as family history, severe childhood sunburn, exposure to certain cancer-causing substances, being fair or having many freckles or moles (about 100 or more), or having moles that don’t look normal. Unprotected sun exposure, however, is by far the greatest risk factor. Some dos and don’ts to minimize sun exposure are:

·Don’t go out in the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (Some say 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., but with daylight savings time, you can see the sun’s rays are still pretty direct even by late afternoon.).

·Do use the American Cancer Society’s Slip, Slap, Slop guidelines – Slip on a shirt (The tighter the weave the better, as not all clothing is equally protective. T-shirts, for example, are not good sun protectors and when wet from swimming offer almost no sun protection.); slop on an adequate amount of sunscreen (broad spectrum SPF15 or higher), even on hazy or overcast days; and slap on a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Re-apply sunscreen often if you are perspiring a great deal or engaging in water sports.

·Don’t go to tanning parlors or use sun lamps.

·Don’t forget your kids. They can’t take these precautions for themselves, and also, keeping them out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day may be a good idea.

Make these guidelines habits, and keep in mind, you’re exposed to the sun a great deal just going about your daily activities. You don’t have to be on a beach to get too much sun.

Does any of this help us fight skin cancer? Statistics clearly show the value of early detection. The five-year survival rate for patients with melanoma that hasn’t spread to other parts of the body is 99 percent, meaning they are disease free, in remission or under treatment. We also know sun exposure, more particularly ultraviolet light, causes skin cancer. More than a million new non-melanoma skin cancer cases each year in this country are thought to be sun-related. So, protecting yourself from the sun will help prevent skin cancer.

The Internet is loaded with skin cancer articles, as with most health information these days. One place to look is Norwood Hospital’s Web site, www.caritasnorwood.org. Please be sure to check anything you read on the Internet or elsewhere with your physician. With your sunscreen on, you should feel free to go outside, enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful, warm New England summer days ahead.

Dermatologist Anjali Chuttani, MD, who is affiliated with Norwood Hospital, practices at Dermatology Associates, 95 Chapel St., Norwood, 781-762-5858.