May is skin cancer awareness month
Skin cancer awareness means knowledge of how to prevent skin cancer as well as how to detect it early, which means skin self exams. Read on for more information!
Learn more about skin cancer here:
May is skin cancer awareness month. In this post, I’ll share some tips on preventing and detecting skin cancer.
Skin cancer comes in many forms, and is the most common type of cancer in America - it is estimated that one in five people will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. It can occur in all patients, irrespective of skin color. Some types are more deadly than others, but as board-certified Dermatologists, Dr. Hutchin and I take all forms of skin cancer seriously - and so should you.
Preventing skin cancer
The old adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” surely holds true when it comes to skin cancer. Although we will discuss some of the treatment options in an upcoming post, prevention is always preferred over treatment. We’ve talked about smart sun exposure behavior before, but let’s review the highlights:
Avoidance. As much as is practical, avoid exposure when the sun’s rays are strongest - roughly between 10 AM and 2 PM. Be extra careful around water, snow or sand, as they can reflect UV light back up, increasing your effective exposure.
Protective clothing. There are many excellent options for sun protective clothing. Hats from companies such as Coolibar and Tilley (available many places - including in the Dermatology of North Asheville office) do an excellent job of minimizing UV exposure to the face, head and neck. Long sleeve shirts and pants with high UPF ratings are also available, both for casual wear and for activities like hiking, biking and boating.
Sunscreen. Good sunscreen use is critical, and should be in addition to, not instead of, the other methods listed above. Use a broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen with SPF of 30 or higher and remember to reapply every few hours or after being in the water.
Avoid tanning booths! If you absolutely have to look tan, consider using self-tanning products.
Remember, there’s no such thing as a safe tan. Any tan is an an indication that your skin has experienced damaging amounts of UV exposure. Damage to the DNA in your skin cells builds up over time, and with multiple repeated injuries can lead to the development of skin cancer.
Detecting skin cancer
Sometimes, no matter how vigilant a person is about their UV protection, skin cancers will occur anyway. As with any form of cancer, early detection is critical to successful treatment. People with high UV exposure or other risk factors, such as immunosuppression, chronic inflammation, arsenic exposure, or a personal or family history of skin cancer, are at higher risk for skin cancer development, but everyone should follow the steps outlined below.
Skin self-exams
Skin cancer detection begins at home. A thorough skin self-exam will allow you to identify concerning spots, which you can then bring to the attention of your board-certified Dermatologist.
How to perform a skin self-exam: The American Academy of Dermatology has an excellent illustrated guide available here. Highlights include:
Examine your body in a full-body mirror. Examine your body front and back, then both sides, with your arms raised.
Look at your underarms, forearms, and palms.
Look at your legs, the soles of your feet, and between your toes. This step is especially critical for patients of African descent, as the most common form of melanoma in this patient population occurs on the feet. In fact, it was an acral lentiginous melanoma - a melanoma arising on the foot - that caused the death of reggae icon Bob Marley.
Use a hand mirror to examine your neck and scalp, and don’t forget to part your hair.
Use a hand mirror to examine your back and buttocks. Even though the buttocks may not get much UV exposure for most people, skin cancer can still develop there.
Take pictures! Most of us have camera phones these days - use them! Serial photography of spots that catch your eye is a great way to look for subtle changes that might indicate a problem
What to look for: The best way to know what you’re looking for is to refer to the American Academy of Dermatology’s Spot Skin Cancer infographic. Some examples include:
Painful, non-healing, or spontaneously bleeding spots.
“Pearly” appearing bumps, particularly if they have dilated blood vessels.
Rapidly growing or changing bumps.
Irregular pigmented (dark) spots. Look for spots that break the ABCDEs of pigmented lesions:
Asymmetric
Borders that are irregular
Colors that are varied from one area to another, multiple shades of tan, black, and sometimes white, red, or blue
Diameter bigger than 6 millimeters, or about the size of a pencil eraser
Evolving (changing) quickly, or different from the rest of your moles
Skin exams by your board-certified Dermatologist
If you’ve noticed something unusual in your skin self-exam, have a history of bad sunburns or skin cancer, or are just want reassurance about your overall skin health, schedule a visit with your board certified Dermatologist. Dr. Michael is accepting new patients! Although we are deferring in-office visits at this time due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are performing online teledermatology visits with video for individual concerning lesions, and are scheduling for full skin exams once the stay-at-home order is lifted and it is once again safe to resume routine in-office visits.
