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Don’t become a statistic, stay safe in sun

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Nancy O'Connell
  • Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Summer is a time to relax and enjoy the outdoors. It is also a time to protect skin from the long-term health effects of the sun's damaging rays. Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the No. 1 cause of skin cancer.

The American Cancer Society predicts more than 1 million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancers for 2009 and more than 68,000 cases of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. The good news is non-melanoma skin cancers are highly curable with timely therapy, and if melanoma is recognized and treated early, it too is curable. Even better news: following simple sun-safe tips every day can reduce the lifetime risk of developing skin cancer by more than 75 percent.

Although people with fair skin, light hair and light eyes are at highest risk, anyone who spends time in the sun can develop skin cancer. As one might expect, skin cancer often shows up on parts of the body that get the most sun exposure: face, ears, neck, scalp, shoulders and back. Skin cancers may show up as a non-healing sore, a new growth or bump, a lesion that tends to bleed if bumped or a change in a mole. Because sun exposure is responsible for skin cancer, the key to prevention is simple: stay in the shade or be sun-safe. Being sun-safe is particularly important to people with outdoor occupations and to those who spend their leisure time outside. Don't become a skin cancer statistic -- be sun-safe.

· Do not burn. Studies show that even occasional burning increases the risk of melanoma.

· Stay in the shade, especially during peak hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

· Avoid tanning beds. To look like you've been in the sun, consider using a sunless self-tanning product, but continue to use sunscreen with it.

· Apply sunscreen generously 30 minutes before going outside. One ounce of sunscreen, about a palm full, covers most adults. Choose a sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher. Reapply every two hours, even on cloudy days, and after sweating or swimming.

If you have risk factors for skin cancer, such as fair skin, use sunscreen all year round. Get in the practice of applying it before leaving the house. Even brief daily sun exposure can add up to major skin damage.

· Cover up with clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. A typical white T-shirt, especially if wet, provides about the protection of a SPF 4 sunscreen. Instead, chose dark, tight weave or sun-protective clothing. The easiest way to test if a fabric will protect skin from the sun's rays is to hold it up to the light. If you can see through it, the UV radiation can penetrate the fabric and damage the skin.

Keep newborns out of the sun -- their skin is particularly vulnerable to UV damage. Apply sunscreen to infants over the age of 6 months and be vigilant about staying in the shade during peak sun hours.

Examine your skin from head-to-toe every month. It's important to get to know your skin well so you can recognize new lesions or changes in the moles on your body. If you notice a change or find a lesion, see your primary care provider. Early detection of melanoma can save your life.

(Some information provided by the Skin Cancer Foundation, www.skincancer.org; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Skin Cancer Primary Prevention and Education Initiative, www.cdc.gov/cancer; and the American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org.)