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Volunteer dermatologists provide free skin cancer screenings in their communities as part of the American Academy of Dermatology's Skin Cancer Screening program, currently in its 18th year. You can find skin cancer screenings in your area by visiting their web site.
More than one million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer in the United States this year alone. It is the most common type of cancer in the United States and is one of only two types of cancer that continues to increase rather than decrease (15). In 1930, an American's lifetime risk of developing melanoma was 1 in 1500. Today, it is 1 in 75. There are two main categories of skin cancers: melanoma and non-melanoma. Melanoma is by far the most deadly form of skin cancer because it can spread to other organs, but it is also the least common (15,16). However, melanoma is the most common cancer among people aged 25 to 29 and is very treatable if detected early (16). Non-melanoma skin cancers generally occur in older adults, but much of the sun damage responsible for non-melanoma skin cancer is done earlier in life. Non-melanoma skin cancers rarely cause death but can cause severe disfigurement if not treated early.
Healthfinder is a resource provided by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It is designed to help the public find credible health information on the web.
Sun exposure, and more specifically UV exposure, is the most important risk factor for skin cancer (16). Studies have shown that severe blistering sunburns increase risk for melanoma while extended exposure to the sun (such as tanning) can cause non-melanoma skin cancers. UV exposure adds up over a lifetime, and the damage it does is often irreversible. Since some places have higher UV levels than other, where you live or spend a lot of time affects your risk for UV exposure and thus skin cancer. Using tanning beds or artificial tanning lamps is another way to accumulate UV exposure which also increases your risk for skin cancer. Other risk factors include fair complexions, a family history of skin cancer, and multiple or atypical moles (15).
Skin cancer is largely preventable through sun protective behaviors (16). Sun protection behaviors are best when they begin at a young age. We receive most of our sun exposure before the age of 18, and it only takes two severe sunburns in childhood to double the risk for melanoma later in life. Sun protective behaviors include staying in the shade; wearing sun protective clothing such as a wide-brimmed hat, long-sleeved shirt, and long pants; using sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or more everyday; and limiting time in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. You should also avoid tanning beds. Tanning beds emit UV radiation at a much higher dosage than natural sunlight and are now required by the FDA to be labeled with a warning that they can lead to skin damage and skin cancer. Finally, adults should perform self-skin exams on a regular basis to check for early signs of skin cancer. Signs may include irregular moles, sores that don’t seem to heal, and irregular patches of skin.
The AAD offers a free Personal Skin Cancer Risk Profile. Complete an online survey to find out what your risk for getting skin cancer is.
The American Academy of Dermatology is an association for Dermatologists. The AAD web site contains information about skin cancer and sun safety (and other skin related topics) as well as a link to the UV index.
NOAA UV Index web site
The National Weather Service publishes a daily UV Index Forecast that can help you determine
appropriate sun protection measures for each day. Look for the UV Index during your local
weather forecast, in your local paper, or on the web.
www.sunsafety.org
The National Coalition for Skin Cancer Prevention in Health, Physical Education, Recreation,
and Youth Sports was created by AAHE through a cooperative agreement with the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Cancer Control, to increase the awareness in
skin cancer prevention.
Footnotes
1. http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancer_information/cancer_type/breast
2. ACS. Cancer Facts and Figures. 2002.
3. http://www.nabco.org/images/myth_fact_new.pdf
4. ACS. Cancer Facts and Figures. 2002.
5. http://www.nci.nih.gov/cancer_information/cancer_type/colorectal
6. ACS News Today. Eliminate Colorectal Cancer Act Moves To The Full Senate. July 18, 2002.
7. Healthy People 2010. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
8. http://www.lungusa.org/data/lc/lcp1.pdf
9. http://www.lungusa.org/data/smoke/SMK1.pdf
10. Behind the Smoke Screen: The Facts About Tobacco use in Colorado. Colorado Department
of Health and Environment. 1999
11. ACS. Cancer Facts and Figures. 2002.
12. Questions and Answers About Early Prostate Cancer. Cancer Facts. National Cancer Institute.
1999
13. Questions and Answers About the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial. Cancer Facts. National
Cancer Institute. 2000
14. Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT): Questions and Answers. Cancer
Facts. National Cancer Institute. 2001.
15. 5 A Day Program Evaluation Report. National Cancer Institute. 2000
16. http://www.usda.gov/cnpp/DietGd.pdf
This page reviewed and updated October 13, 2004.
Health information is provided for educational purposes only and is not intended for diagnosing or treating a health problem. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, you should consult your health care provider.