May is National Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness Month

Emily Newton

After a long semester, it seems everyone is already making summer plans. And while fun in the sun may be the first thing on our minds as we enjoy the warm weather, we should also keep safety in mind.

“Protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays” is not a simple marketing slogan; it’s a serious warning. May is National Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness Month because one in five Americans will develop skin cancer during their lifetime, making skin cancer the most common type of cancer (more people are diagnosed with skin cancer than the combined total of breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancers). Each hour, one person dies from skin cancer and amid the obvious culprit, 90% of skin cancer is caused by excessive exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. Fortunately, skin cancer and melanoma can be prevented and detected as long as you follow the easy suggestions below!

• Use sunscreen of at least 15-30 SPF 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every 2 hours once in the sun. Sunscreen provides protection your skin from harmful rays by either absorbing the rays before they reach your skin or by scattering them away from your body.
• Reapply “waterproof/sweat resistant sunscreen” every 30 minutes. None are really waterproof and only protect in water for an average of 40 minutes.
• Do not avoid sun protection just because your skin is darker. Anyone can get skin cancer and while skin cancers are usually treatable if detected early, the overall 5-year melanoma survival rate for African Americans is only 77 percent, versus 91 percent for Caucasians.
• UV rays peak between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Avoid direct exposure during this time.
• Avoid tanning beds. 76% of melanoma cases for 18-29 year olds were attributed to tanning bed use and just one indoor UV tanning session increases users’ risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 67%
• Check your body once a month for new or changing spots on your skin and see the doctor if anything looks suspicious. Follow the ABCDE rule: Look for Asymmetry (half of a mole does not match the other half), Borders that are irregular or blurred, Color that is not the same all over, Diameter larger than 6 millimeters across, and check for Evolving moles (changing in size, shape, or color).