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Approximately 5.4 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed among 3.3 million people each year according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). This stat may have you questioning why there are so many more cases than there are people. What most people don’t know is that skin cancer is very common and often times people are diagnosed with more than one spot of skin cancer at the same time. An increasing trend indicates that more cases are being discovered in adults older than 50, likely because of our better detection of skin cancer but also because people live longer and are exposed to the sun’s UV rays longer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
The good news is that if you spot skin cancer early, most skin cancers can be treated with minimally invasive outpatient procedures. Chantel Hillestad, FNP-C, specializes in dermatology at Trinity Health and recommends that patients protect themselves by applying sunscreen that is at least a SPF of 30, avoiding the sun rays when they are the strongest between 10am-2pm, wearing sun protective clothing, and having extra caution when around water and sand as they can reflect the damaging rays if the sun which can increase sunburn. “Applying sunscreen is considered to be of the best preventive measures you can do to protect yourself from the sun’s UV rays,” said Hillestad. “This applies to all people regardless of skin color, age or location.”
Hillestad explains that SPF means sun protective factor. An SPF of 15 can filter out approximately 93% of the suns UVB rays, and an SFP of 30 can filter out 97%. There is no sunscreen that can filter out a 100%, so it is advised that people seek shade and wear sun protective clothing along with sunscreen. “I feel it is also important that people understand the difference between chemical and physical mineral sunscreen. Chemical sunscreen protects by absorbing the sun’s rays and it may contain the ingredients of oxybenzone or avobenzone. Physical mineral sunscreens protect by deflecting the sun’s rays, and can also absorb them. Mineral sunscreens have the ingredients of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. It is recommended that sunscreen by applied at least 20 minutes before sun exposure, and reapplications should occur every two hours, after being in water, when sweating or toweling off.
In addition to wearing sunscreen, it’s recommended by dermatology providers not to use tanning beds due to their ability to increase the likelihood of skin cancer, especially for people who use tanning beds before age 30. Other products that help people tan can be dangerous as well such as tanning accelerators that come in the forms of lotions or pills. Companies that market these products claim that the tanning accelerator will stimulate the body’s own tanning process, but most evidence suggests that they don’t work. The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) also considers tanning accelerators as unapproved new drugs that have not been shown to be safe and effective. Many people assume that tanning pills, tanning shots or tanning accelerators are approved by the FDA for tanning purposes. This assumption is false, as none of the products available to the public are approved according to the ACS.
As for identifying skin cancer, Hillestad also urges people to be mindful of conducting self-body skin examinations to spot signs of cancer early. It’s important to check your body at home for spots that appear to be abnormal. To do a self-body examination for skin cancer spots it is recommended to use a mirror and observe the entire body at least once a month. When examining your body, it’s best to look for abnormal changes that are related to the appearance of your skin. This may be hard to identify at first but once you get in a routine it becomes easier to identify changes on your body. It is also helpful to get your spouse or family members familiar with your skin to aid in determining any new changes. A few common ways that skin cancer presents itself include new skin lesions that were present before, itching, sores that bleed and don’t heal after several months. Moles that are changing in color or size or the development of new moles can also be concerning for skin cancer. It’s important to know that skin cancer can occur anywhere on the body.
“If there’s ever a suspicion of skin cancer it’s best to talk to a provider that specializes in dermatology and be evaluated. It is also a good idea to undergo annual skin cancer screening exams.” Hillestad said.
