Skin Cancer Awareness

May is Skin Cancer Awareness month. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide and rates continue to increase, yet it is largely preventable!  

The photo above is from a patient of mine who came in with numerous moles, but she definitely had the “ugly duckling” sign where one of her moles stood out as different than the others. We were fortunate to find her melanoma early and it was treated with surgical excision.

Skin cancer is generally broken down into 2 types: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers including basal cell carcinoma & squamous cell carcinoma. These non-melanoma forms of skin cancer are rarely deadly but surgical treatment can cause scarring.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. If caught early, survival rates are high, but melanoma can metastasize. This is why it is important to do regular skin checks and keep an eye on anything suspicious.

A few statistics:

🔹 More than 2 people die of skin cancer in the US every hour 

🔹 Skin cancer in patients with skin of color is often diagnosed in its later stages, when it’s more difficult to treat

🔹 In the past decade the number of melanoma cases has increased by about 44%

🔹 On average a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if they’ve had 5 or more sunburns

🔹 Just 1 blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence doubles the risk of developing melanoma (I think we are all thinking of our youth in the sun )⁣ ⁣⁣

🔹 People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by
75%. Don’t use them!

The vast majority of melanomas are caused by the sun,️ so please protect your skin: Use a broad-spectrum SPF 30+ sunscreen, sun protective clothing and minimize sun exposure as much as possible. Examine your skin and check your partner too. If something is growing, changing, or looks odd, see your doctor. Look for the ABCDEs of melanoma – Asymmetry, Border Irregularities, Color changes, Diameter larger than 6 mm and Evolution meaning the spot is changing.⁣ ⁣

There are more helpful resources on the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) website.