Protect and Check Your Skin

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States, with more than 1 million cases diagnosed each year. By age 65, 40%–50% of Americans will have had at least one skin cancer, according to estimates by M. D. Anderson Cancer Center.

Fortunately, you can do a lot to protect yourself and your family from skin cancer. It’s especially important to think about skin safety during the sunny days of summer, since sunburn is the single greatest risk factor for all types of skin cancer.

The three types

There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. All three can usually be cured when found and treated in their early stages.

Basal cell carcinoma, which accounts for more than 90% of skin cancers, usually shows up as a small, pink bump or patch on the head or neck, although it may appear on any part of the body. It is a slow-growing cancer but should be treated as early as possible.

The less common squamous cell carcinoma can resemble basal cell carcinoma. However, squamous cell carcinomas are usually more scaly and rough and are often found on the head, neck, ears, lips, and backs of the arms and hands. Squamous cell carcinomas can also develop around scars or ulcers. This cancer type is more likely to grow deeply within the skin or spread to other parts of the body than basal cell carcinoma.

Melanoma is rarer still, but it is much more dangerous than basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Left untreated, melanoma is likely to spread to other organs and eventually kill. Melanoma will usually first appear as a dark or colored mole with an irregular border.

Protect yourself

Fortunately, you can greatly reduce your risk of all types of skin cancer simply by protecting yourself from the sun’s damaging ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Here are a few tips:

• Avoid the sun as much as possible, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are strongest. If you are outside, try to stay in the shade. People with fair skin who freckle or sunburn easily are at a higher risk of skin cancer than others and should be especially careful.
• Use sunscreen and lip balm with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Make a habit of applying sunscreen, even on overcast days. Thirty minutes before going outside, apply sunscreen generously (using a palm’s worth) to your hands, feet, the tops of your ears, the back of your neck, your face, and other exposed skin. Reapply sunscreen often if you are swimming or perspiring.
• Wear protective clothing, such as a wide-brimmed hat, a long-sleeved shirt, and pants. Sporting goods stores sell clothes that have built-in UV protection, which makes them even more effective against sun damage. To protect your eyes, wear sunglasses that filter out UV radiation.
• Pay special attention to your children—much of our lifetime sun damage occurs in childhood. Apply sunscreen to children 30 minutes before they go outdoors. Teach them the shadow rule: If your shadow is shorter than you, the sun’s rays are at their strongest, and extra precautions should be taken. Infants should never be exposed to direct sunlight.
• Don’t use sunlamps or tanning beds.

Check yourself

In addition to limiting your sun exposure, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center recommends that you give yourself a monthly skin exam after a shower or bath, using both a full-length mirror and a hand-held mirror. Learn where your birthmarks, moles, blemishes, and freckles are and what they look and feel like. Check yourself from head to toe, including your back, scalp, genitals, and between the buttocks.

During these self-exams, check for anything that has changed, such as the size, shape, texture, or color of a mole or freckle. Also, look for areas of scaliness, itching, bleeding, or tenderness.

For more information, talk to your physician, visit M. D. Anderson's skin cancer Web page, or call askMDAnderson at 1-877-632-6789.

Other articles in OncoLog, May 2009 issue:

• Targeting Inflammation in Cancer Prevention
• Treating Radiation Necrosis of the Brain
• Preclinical Studies Reveal Effectiveness of Therapies for Pediatric Cancers
• In Brief

TOP

Home/Current Issue | Previous Issues | Articles by Topic | Patient Education
About Oncolog | Contact OncoLog | Sign Up for E-mail Alerts

©2009 The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center
1515 Holcombe Blvd., Houston, TX 77030
1-877-MDA-6789 (USA) / 1-713-792-3245  
 Patient Referral    Legal Statements    Privacy Policy