But the time in the sunshine takes its toll. More than one million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year. Of these, about 80 percent will be basal cell carcinoma; 16 percent, squamous cell carcinoma; and 4 percent, melanoma. Basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers often appear as pearly nodules (or ulcers) or non-healing red, crusted patches. “Texans are at particular risk of developing skin cancer because of the sun’s intensity throughout the year,” says Sarah Weitzul, M.D., professor of dermatology, division of Dermatologic Surgery, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Excessive sun exposure in the first 10 to 18 years of life increases your chances of developing melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer. May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and Arlington Memorial Hospital (AMH) is joining with the Dallas/Fort Worth Dermatological Societies, the American Cancer Society and the North Texas Dermatology Nurses Association to sponsor a free melanoma/skin cancer screening. Screenings will be held Saturday, May 22, 8 a.m. to noon, at the Rex C.McRae Health Services Center, 810 W. Randol Mill Road (adjacent to the hospital).
“While our lifestyle is to stay indoors more, we tend to have intense periods of sun exposure, such as vacations. Other reasons for the increase could be holes in the ozone layer, which allow UV rays, or the fact that we are living longer.” During the previous screening at AMH, 775 individuals were examined. Of those, 302 had suspicious spots and were referred for additional care. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 10,250 people will die of skin cancer in 2004: 7,910 from melanoma and 2,340 from other skin cancers. One in 39 Americans has a lifetime risk of developing melanoma and one in 67 of developing invasive melanoma.
“People who have been diagnosed with melanoma tend to be very conscious about using sunscreen,” says Dr. Adams. “Everyone should wear sunscreen all the time.We may think that we are out in the sun only 10 minutes each day running errands or going to the car for work, but that adds up to about an hour a week. There is a cumulative effect.” For women, there are many moisturizers and foundations that have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15, which is adequate. “These products come in many formulas for all skin types. It’s more difficult for men since very few males wear moisturizer, but there are good, non-oily gel products available. Some men object to the smell, but there is generally a product to suit everybody. It’s very rare for someone to be allergic to a sunscreen product,” she explains.
Chances of developing melanoma increase if you’ve already had one melanoma; you have many moles, large moles or atypical (unusual) moles; your parents, children or siblings have had melanoma; or you are a Caucasian with fair skin. Redheads and blondes have a two- to four-fold increased risk of developing melanoma.
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by Patsy Miller
After winter’s gloomy, cold days, we look forward to the bright sunshine of spring and taking advantage of the longer days to work in the garden, take the children to the park or indulge in our favorite sport.
Dermatologists will be examining moles and other lesions for skin cancer and will determine if further evaluation is necessary. “While people are more aware of the damage to their skin caused by the sun, we still see our share of melanoma. In fact, it is increasing,” says Mary Adams, M.D., with the Arlington Dermatology Association. She is the medical coordinator for the AMH screening.
Both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma have a better than 95 percent cure rate if detected early.When detected early,melanoma is also highly curable. For localized melanoma that has not spread beyond the outer layers of the skin at the time of detection, the average five-year survival rate is 97 percent. Approximately 82 percent of melanomas are diagnosed at the localized stage.