Understanding Skin Cancer

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For most of us warmer weather means spending more time outdoors.  Whether laying on the great lawn, going for a run or enjoying cocktails on one of the city’s many rooftops, it is important to remember to protect our skin. Roughly one in five Americans will develop skin cancer, so the chance of you or someone you know getting skin cancer is higher than you may think. 

Although these atypical skin cells often develop on areas of the body with the most sun exposure, some develop regardless of tanning habits.  Currently, skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world.  Statistically, it accounts for 75% of all cancer diagnoses.  Luckily, the cure rate for such a far reaching cancer is very high, even for the most serious type of skin cancer, melanoma.  Those with a family history of skin cancer, fair skin, hair and eyes, and men are at a higher risk of getting skin cancer.

3 Types of Skin Cancer

There are three major types of skin cancer:

1.      Basal cell carcinoma (BCC): BCC is the most common form of skin cancer and most often occurs on the most sun-exposed areas of your body like your face and neck. It often appears as a pearly or waxy bump or a flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like lesion. 

2.      Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC): SCC also often occurs on sun-exposed areas of your body but presents as a firm, red nodule or a flat, scaly or crusty lesion. 

3.       Melanoma:  Can develop anywhere on your body, regardless of sun exposure. Most common on the torso of men, and lower legs of women.  Can be identified as a large brown spot with dark speckles; a mole that changes color, size or texture; a small lesion with irregular borders; or dark lesions on your palms, fingertips, soles or toes. 

Assessing Moles on the Body

To help remember what to look for when scanning your body for melanomas – the most serious type of skin cancer, the medical community created the “ABCDE’s of Melanoma”:

A: Asymmetry of the mole.

B: Borders of the mole are uneven.

C: Color varies throughout the mole. 

D: Diameter of the mole is greater than 6 mm (or the size of a pencil eraser)

E: Evolution of the mole, in size, shape, color, texture.

 

How can we prevent skin cancer?

How can we help prevent new cases of skin cancer?  Because skin cancer is one of the only cancers you can see, detecting it can be much easier than other cancers. Everyone should take advantage of this by remembering the “ABCDE’s” we mentioned above.  Besides educating yourself on what to look for, there are a few easy ways to prevent skin cancer or catch it early when it is the easiest to treat and cure.

  1. Wear at least SPF 30 sunscreen and protective clothing like hats, sunglasses or long sleeves and pants. Remember, even on cloudy days, UV rays can affect your skin.  Sunscreen should be reapplied throughout the day if you are staying outdoors. 
  2. Avoid tanning, tanning beds and sun burns.
  3. Check your skin.  Being watchful and aware of any new or changing spots can lead to early detection, treatment and cure.  If you see anything out of the ordinary, see a dermatologist immediately.