HOW TO SPOT SKIN CANCER

How To SpotSKIN HEALTH Skin Cancer

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. In fact, numbers indicate that 1 in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, or AAD, 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer in the U.S. every day.

RISK FACTORS Living in sunny states and spending a lot of time outside exposed to harmful UV rays make people more susceptible to skin cancer. Living in California encourages this type of lifestyle, so residents in the sunshine state may be more at risk than others. Surprisingly, however, California falls in the middle when it comes to states with the highest occurrence of skin cancer.

Christian Jones, MD, from Golden State Dermatology, says a lot of the reason is diversity, and the characteristics that make someone more susceptible to skin cancer in the first place. For example, fair-skinned, natural

BY NORA HESTON TARTE

blondes and red heads are more likely to develop skin cancer than people with darker skin tones and hair colors. California is very diverse, which contributes to the rate of skin cancer in the state. States like Utah, Vermont, and New Hampshire actually have the highest rate of melanoma. “The lifetime risk of developing at least one form of skin cancer can be as high as 20-30% in those living in climates such as California,” says Nicole James with LUX Dermatology.

“The rate of skin cancer for fairer-skinned Californians though, is quite high,” Dr. Jones says. “Education about skin cancer prevention is also important. Southern states are more likely to use proper sun protection after decades of educational activity by the dermatological community.”

Common Warning Signs

These are the major warning signs of skin cancer that everyone should be on the lookout for:

Change in appearance of a mole or pigmented lesion

Change in shape, size, or color

Spots that are two or more colors

Spots greater than a quarter-inch in diameter

A spot that looks irregular or has asymmetric borders

Spots that hurt, itch, bleed, ooze, or are ulcerated

Sores that fail to heal or continue to bleed

A sore or spot that will not go away

Skin changes at the site a mole has been removed

Scaly patches

Any of the above should warrant a call to a dermatologist, and frequent self-checks as well as less frequent dermatologist exams are recommended. Those who are at a higher risk of skin cancer should see a dermatologist annually or as recommended for a full skin exam.

Warning Signs You May Miss

Some warning signs of skin cancer are more likely to go unnoticed. “A common misconception is that skin cancer is raised or a spot that is symptomatic,” Nicole says. “Skin cancer can be flat and completely symptom free.”

Other uncommon symptoms include vision problems and changes in the fingernails or toenails.

“Another common misconception is that skin cancer is brown or dark in color,” Nicole says. “In fact, the most common types of skin cancer are generally pink or red shiny spots.”

The best rule is, if you’re in doubt, see a dermatologist.