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Skin Cancer Prevention

Skin Cancer

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Some people are at higher risk of skin cancer than others, but anyone can get it. The most preventable cause of skin cancer is overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, either from the sun or from artificial sources like tanning beds.

Skin Cancer Risk Factors

Although anyone can get skin cancer, people with certain characteristics are at greater risk.

  • A lighter natural skin color.
  • Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or becomes painful in the sun.
  • Blue or green eyes.
  • Blond or red hair.
  • Certain types and a large number of moles.
  • A family history of skin cancer.
  • A personal history of skin cancer.
  • Older age.

Practice Sun Safety

Protection from Ultraviolet (UV) rays is important all year, not just during the summer. UV rays can reach you on cloudy and cool days, and they reflect off of surfaces like water, cement, sand, and snow. In the continental United States, UV rays are strongest from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. daylight saving time (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. standard time). If you know you are going to be outside, it’s important to try to follow the guidelines below to ensure you protect yourself.

  • Stay in the shade.
  • Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
  • Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck.
  • Wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both UVA and UVB rays.
  • Use a broad spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

Avoid Indoor Tanning

Indoor tanning (using a tanning bed, booth, sunbed, or sunlamp to darken the skin) exposes users to high levels of UV rays. Over time, too much exposure to UV rays can cause skin cancers, cataracts, and cancers of the eye.

A tan does not indicate good health. When UV rays reach the skin’s inner layer, the skin makes more melanin. Melanin is the pigment that gives skin its color. It moves toward the outer layers of the skin and becomes visible as a tan. Any change in skin color after UV exposure (whether it is a tan or a burn) is a sign of injury, not health.

Indoor tanning

  • Exposes users to intense levels of UV rays, a known cause of cancer.
  • Does not protect against sunburns. A “base tan” is actually a sign of skin damage.
  • Can lead to serious injury. Indoor tanning accidents and burns send more than 3,000 people to the emergency room each year.

What are the symptoms of skin cancer?

A change in your skin is the most common sign of skin cancer. This could be a new growth, a sore that doesn’t heal, or a change in a mole external icon Not all skin cancers look the same.

For melanoma specifically, a simple way to remember the warning signs is to remember the A-B-C-D-Es of melanoma:

  • “A” stands for asymmetrical. Does the mole or spot have an irregular shape with two parts that look very different?
  • “B” stands for border. Is the border irregular or jagged?
  • “C” is for color. Is the color uneven?
  • “D” is for diameter. Is the mole or spot larger than the size of a pea?
  • “E” is for evolving. Has the mole or spot changed during the past few weeks or months?