Skin Cancer Prevention

Image via WikipediaEarly detection could save a life.. maybe even yours!

Skin Cancer Prevention:

Action Steps

■Schedule regular screenings                         

Annually or every 6 months for high risk patients or follow ups as directed by your provider.

■ Do Not Burn                     

Overexposure to the sun is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer.

■ Avoid Sun Tanning and Tanning Beds

UV light from tanning beds and the sun causes  your skin to age, wrinkle, and skin cancer.

■ Use Sunscreen              

Generously apply a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Reapply at least every two hours, and after swimming or sweating.

■ Cover Up                             

Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection, when possible.

■ Seek Shade

 Seek shade when the sun's UV rays are most intense between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

■ Watch for the UV Index

Pay attention to the UV Index when planning outdoor activities to prevent over-exposure to the sun.

SKIN CANCER:

THROUGH OUT THE U.S.

Statistics:                                 

■ In 2008, more than 1 million people were diagnosed with skin cancer, making it the most common of all cancers.  More people were diagnosed with skin cancer in 2008 than with  breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer combined.

■ About 1 in 5 Americans will develop  skin cancer during their lifetime.

■ Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults (15-29 years old).

■ For people born in 2005, 1 in 5 will be  diagnosed with melanoma —  nearly 30 times the rate for people born in 1930.

■The cost of skin cancer:  In the U.S., medical costs to treat skin cancer are estimated at almost $2 billion annually.

1 AMERICAN

D I E S

OF MELANOMA ALMOST

EVERY HOUR.

BUT HERE AT

NORTH IDAHO DERMATOLOGY,

WE’VE TREATED OVER

 20,0000

PATIENTS, AND OF THOSE -

FOUR PATIENTS HAVE LOST THEIR BATTLE TO MELANOMA…

THEY WAITED TOO LONG

TO BE SCREENED,

AND IT WAS TOO LATE.

EARLY DETECTION SAVES LIVES!

CAUSE FOR CONCERN

Idaho had the highest melanoma incidence rate in the U.S. from 2001-2005.

Idaho had the highest melanoma death rate in the U.S. from 2001-2005.

(26% higher than the U.S. average!)

SKIN CANCER:

INCREASKING RISK IN IDAHO

                       

■ Sunburns 

A 2004 survey found that 48.5% of white adults in Idaho had at least one sunburn in the past year. (Sunburns are a significant risk factor for the development of skin cancer.

■ NEW cases of melanoma are responsible for 75% of all skin cancer deaths.

■ The annual rate of NEW melanoma diagnoses were 34% higher in Idaho than the national average from 2001-2005.

■ People who have white skin are at the highest risk for melanoma. 

■ New diagnoses of melanoma increased at a rate of about 3.6% per year in Idaho from 1975 to 2006.  The rate of increase was higher for males (4.2% per year) than for females (2.8% per year).

All references can be found at:

www.epa.gov/sunwise/statefacts.html

www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin

www.epa.gov/sunwise

Come make an appointment for you and your family today!

Just What Is Mohs Surgery?

Image by Cristiano Maia via FlickrIn certain situations, your dermatologist may refer you for a specialized technique called Mohs micrographically controlled surgery. In this method, performed by specially trained dermatologic surgeons, the skin cancer is removed under local anesthesia in an office setting and microscopic sections are prepared on slides while you wait. Your Mohs surgeon examines the slides to determine if all the cancer cells have been removed. If not additional layers are taken until the cancer is completely excised. The advantage of this technique is that a minimum amount of tissue is removed and all the edges of the specimen are carefully studied. This method has a high cure rate, but is not required for all skin cancers. In general, most dermatologists agree that recurrent skin cancers (skin cancers that were previously treated and have come back, incompletely removed skin cancers, large skin cancers, and skin cancers in cosmetically important areas), may benefit from the Mohs technique. After the skin cancer has been removed using this method, it maybe allowed to heal naturally or reconstructive surgery using a skin flap or skin graft may be performed. Also see: Skin Cancer, Dermatologic Surgery

Actinic Keratosis

Image by Terry Waller via Flickr

What are actinic keratoses?

Actinic keratoses (AKs) are common skin lesions. Caused by years of sun exposure, AKs also are called solar keratoses or sun spots. Fair-skinned people are more susceptible, and AKs tend to appear on skin that receives the most sun. The forehead, ears, neck, arms, hands, lower lip, a bald scalp, and lower legs of women are common sites. No matter where AKs develop, they are considered the earliest stage in the development of skin cancer.

Like skin cancer, AKs develop when ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun damages cells in the skin. When AKs form, the affected skin cells are the keratinocytes. These tough-walled cells make up 90 percent of the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin) and give the skin its texture. Changes to these cells cause the skin to become rough and scaly. Bumps or small horn-like growths form. If the cells continue to change, AKs can progress to squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer.

WHAT ACTINIC KERATOSES LOOK LIKE

The typical actinic keratosis (AK) is a dry, scaly, rough bump that is skin-colored to reddish-brown. The lesion may range from the size of a pinhead to larger than a quarter. Some skin-colored AKs may be easier to feel than see. When touched, these often feel like sandpaper.

Sometimes an AK grows rapidly upward, causing it to resemble the horn of an animal. When this happens, the AK is called a cutaneous horn. Horns vary in size from that of a pinhead to a pencil eraser. Some horns grow straight; others curve. Cutaneous horns often form on the ears, which tend to receive years of sun exposure. AKs also commonly form on the lower lip. An AK on the lower lip is known as actinic cheilitis and looks like a diffuse, scaly patch on a dry, often cracked, lip.

No matter where an AK forms, it can seem to disappear for weeks or months and then return. This also can happen when an AK is scraped off. The damaged cells continue to grow, and the AK returns. A dermatologist can determine when to treat AKs and how.

TREATING ACTINIC KERATOSES

When treating AKs, dermatologists may use one therapy or combine therapies. Some available treatments for actinic keratoses are:

CRYOSURGERY

The most common treatment for AKs, cryosurgery, involves applying a cryogenic (extremely cold) substance, usually liquid nitrogen, to the lesion. This freezes the surface skin, causing the skin to flake off. New skin forms. The main side effect is skin redness; blistering may occur.

TOPICAL CHEMOTHERAPY

To destroy AKs, patients apply a cancer-fighting cream or lotion (e.g., 5-fluoruracil,) to their skin. Red spots may remain on the treated skin for a while. Another treatment option such as cryosurgery may be necessary to treat thicker lesions that a cream or lotion cannot fully penetrate.

TOPICAL IMMUNOTHERAPY

When applied to the skin, this medication (e.g., imiquimod) stimulates the patient's own immune system to destroy the AKs and accompanying damaged skin cells. Patients apply this medication at home as directed by their dermatologist.

TOPICAL NSAID (NON-STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DRUG)

Patients apply this medication (e.g., sodium diclofenac gel) to the lesions as directed. During treatment, patients should avoid the sun. The medication works to destroy the AKs and accompanying solar damage.

PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY

A solution that makes the skin more sensitive to light is applied and left on the skin. After a few hours, the treated skin is exposed to "blue" or "red" light, which activates the solution and destroys the AKs. Areas of redness may develop in treated regions. These will fade after several days.

CHEMICAL PEELING

A chemical solution is applied to the skin in order to peel away the AKs and damaged skin. As the treated skin peels off, new healthy skin replaces it. It is common to experience discomfort, redness, and crusting in the treated areas.

LASER SKIN RESURFACING

A laser may be used to remove AKs and damaged skin. A common side effect is redness immediately afterward. It may take a week or two for the skin to heal. Research and development of other treatments for AKs is ongoing. No one therapy works on all AKs or in all individuals.

PREVENTING ACTINIC KERATOSES

This should start early in life. Sun damage begins in childhood and puts the child at risk for AKs and skin cancer later in life. However, it is never too late to prevent new AKs, even in adults who have AKs.

THE BASICS OF ACTINIC KERATOSES PREVENTION:

• Seek shade when appropriate, remembering that the sun's rays are strongest between
  10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If your shadow is shorter than you are, seek shade.
• Wear protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat
  and sunglasses, where possible.
• Generously apply sunscreen daily. Sunscreen should have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher and offer broad-spectrum protection (both UVA and UVB protection). Sunscreen should be applied at least 20 minutes before going outdoors to all skin that will be exposed, such as the face, ears, and hands.
• Reapply sunscreen approximately every two hours, after swimming or sweating, even on cloudy days.

This information comes from the American Academy of Dermatology website and should be attributed as such (www.aad.org)

Popping, Squeezing, and Picking Acne

Image via Wikipedia

Never pop, squeeze, or pick acne. Popping and squeezing pimples, whiteheads, blackheads, and cysts tends to make acne worse. All this does is make the acne last longer. This can make it difficult to see clearer skin no matter what treatment you are using. Trying to get rid of a pimple by popping or picking also can lead to scarring, which can be permanent.