WE MUSTACHE YOU A QUESTION ??
SKIN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Schedule Your Annual Total-Body Skin Cancer Exam, Today.
ONE MILLION SKIN CANCERS WENT UNDIAGNOSED IN 202O
WHAT IS YOUR SKIN HIDING? “Age is one of the leading risk factors for skin cancer,” said Dr. Bill Steffes, a board-certified medical and surgical dermatologist with Advanced Dermatology and Cosmetic Surgery who has a special interest in early detection and treatment of skin cancer. As we age our body’s protection against the sun’s rays becomes less effective. UV rays cause our skin to produce more melanin, the pigment that produces a tan. These rays damage the DNA in our skin and our bodies are typically good at repairing that DNA. However, as we become ‘less young’ those repair methods become less effective, and we’re more likely to develop skin cancer.
Other factors that increase skin cancer risk include:
• Light Skin - Especially when combined with light hair, and blue or green eyes. However, those with darker hair and eyes and those with skin of color are also susceptible to skin cancer. • Gender - Skin cancer is more common in males. • UV Light Exposure - This is a major risk factor for most melanomas. Sunlight is the main source but can be intensified by tanning beds. • Family History • Personal History • Large Number of Moles or Atypical Moles • Weakened Immune System • History of Breast Cancer - There is an increased risk in patients with breast cancer and vice versa. • Visit advancedderm.com to learn the ABCDE’s of melanoma. Moles or growths that change, itch, or bleed should be checked right away by your dermatologist.
Skin Cancer Goes Undiagnosed in 2020 as a Result of COVID-19
Skin Cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. and accounts for almost half of all cancers. As a result of concerns by dermatologists about how reduced access to medical providers in 2020 (during the early days of COVID-19) would impact the detection and management of skin cancer, a national study 1 was conducted in large part right here at Ameriderm Research in Ormond Beach. That study concluded that more than a million skin cancers–including melanomas–likely went undetected last year. And while that’s a reason for great concern, the good news is a second nationally published study2 in 2020, simultaneously concluded that total-body skin cancer 12
Aging Times Magazine | May 2021
