Skin cancer is the commonest form of cancer in the United States. It is estimated that there are now roughly one million people per year who develop skin cancer and roughly 10,000 deaths per year from the disease. Early detection results in a very high chance of survival.

Skin cancers are broken down into two different groups - melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. This distinction is important because the two types of cancer behave very differently.

Greater than 90 percent of all skin cancers are of the non-melanoma type and these cancers almost always have an excellent prognosis and chance of cure. Melanomas, though much less common, are much more aggressive tumors and not infrequently can result in death.

Who gets skin cancer?

The number one risk factor for skin cancer overall is excess sun exposure. This holds especially true for those who are fair-skinned and living in warmer climates. Whites have a much higher incidence of skin cancer than darker skinned persons do.

If you are a person who always burns and never tans from sun exposure, you are at a much higher risk for skin cancer. Age is also a big risk factor, as skin cancer is infrequent before the age of fifty. Family history of skin cancer, a suppressed immune system and certain chemical exposures, such as arsenic, also increase risk.

What are the symptoms?

For melanoma, it is important to remember that many melanomas arise from pre-existing moles. While moles are normal for many people, they should be watched for changes. The phrase A-B-C-D" can help you remember the changes to watch for in a mole.

Skin Cancer: Risk Factors According to the American Cancer Society, the following are risk factors for developing skin cancer: Having moles, especially dysplastic nevi (atypical moles) or congenital melanocytic nevi Having fair skin Having a family history of melanoma Being immunosuppressed Having excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation Being over age 50. (However, younger people (ages 20 to 30) can be diagnosed with melanoma and melanoma is one of the most common cancers in people under age 30.)

A" stands for asymmetry, B" stands for border, C" stands for color and D" stands for diameter. If a mole becomes asymmetrical (one half of the mole does not match the other half), the borders change (for example they become irregular: ragged or notched), the color changes, or it increases in size (more than 6 millimeters or ¼ inch), consult a physician to examine the mole.

Those who have a large number of moles on their body (more than 40) are also at a much higher risk of developing melanoma and should have a physician regularly inspect their skin for any changes, especially in hard to see areas such as the back.

How is it diagnosed?

When a physician sees a suspicious looking skin lesion, he or she will want to remove it (a biopsy) and send it a laboratory to be examined under a microscope for cancer. This is usually a simple procedure done in the office with local anesthesia (numbing" medicine), unless the lesion is in a difficult area (e.g. the eyelid).

If the lesion turns out to be cancer, chances are you have already been cured by the biopsy. The pathologist, a doctor who specializes in examining cancer under the microscope, will be able to tell if all of the cancer has been removed by the biopsy. If so, all a person needs is close follow up for detection of cancer recurrence. If needed, a larger amount of tissue can be removed.

What you can do to prevent it

Because skin cancer is avoidable and often highly curable with early detection, a few simple rules will usually help avoid any serious problems. First, avoid sun exposure. If your occupation or other obligation forces you to be in the sun, wear a sun block that is specifically labeled as blocking UV-B (ultraviolet-B) and preferably also UV-A light rays, which are the most damaging to the skin.

This is especially important in white persons who easily burn from the sun and rarely tan. Remember skin cancer risk increases proportionally with lifetime cumulative sunlight exposure, so protect your children from the sun as well.

Also, watch your skin for any suspicious changes such as ulceration (erosion of the skin surface), nodule formation, bleeding, and red, scaling patches. This is especially important to watch for in sun- exposed areas of your skin.

For melanoma, watch for changes in any moles you have, and have a doctor check your skin regularly if you have a large number of moles.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., although it is often highly curable when caught early. Now that we are having problems with our naturally protective ozone layer, it is even more important to take a few simple measures to reduce your skin cancer risk. It turns out our moms were right when they yelled for us to: Get out of the sun!"

 

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