Raising Skin Cancer Awareness: Know What to Look For

Living in Florida, residents can expect approximately 250 days a year to be filled with the sun’s strong rays. It’s no surprise that the state’s nickname is the “Sunshine State.” Despite the obvious, however, many Floridians do not understand the perils of the sun. Every year, the month of May is set aside to raise skin cancer awareness.

Raising Skin Cancer Awareness

The statistics are startling. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, the incidence of skin cancer is higher than all other cancers combined. In fact, it is believed that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer over the course of their life. Here is the breakdown of the estimated number of Americans who will be diagnosed in the United States in 2018: 178,560 new cases of melanoma, 87,290 noninvasive (in situ) and 91,270 invasive. In addition, the American Cancer Society projects invasive melanoma will be the fifth most common cancer for men (55,150 cases) and the sixth most common cancer for women (36,120 cases) this year.

No matter if it is winter, spring, summer or fall, it is important to examine your skin every month in search for anything that looks suspicious. But would you know the difference between normal, benign (not harmful) or harmful? By following some simple ABCDEs, you can be on the right side of the bell curve and raise your skin cancer awareness IQ.

Knowing Your ABCDEs

When it comes to early skin cancer detection, specifically melanoma, which can be deadly, knowing your ABCDEs can be a lifesaver.

But where does one begin? When checking your skin, a good starting point is to be on the lookout for any new growths or moles. From there, you can become a skin cancer detective by observing the following ABCDE clues:

Asymmetrical. If you have a mole already, imagine drawing a line through it to divide it in half. A warning sign of melanoma is that the two halves would not be equal.

Border. If the border or edge of a mole or lesion is uneven, scalloped or there’s a notch, there can be cause for concern.

Color. The majority of benign skin spots are one color ─ usually brown. A red flag is a lesion with a number of different colors or shades, usually a variety of browns. And believe it or not, melanoma can even be patriotic in appearance — red, white and blue.

Diameter. The diameter of a mole is very telling: The larger the diameter of a mole, the more suspicious the lesion. Statistically, melanomas are about the size of a pencil eraser.

Evolving. A prior growth that’s changed significantly or a spot that itches, bleeds or doesn’t heal could be an alarm.

If you discover one or more ABCDEs during your skin check, make an appointment with your physician for a comprehensive skin cancer screening. The good news is that when caught early, the cure rate for skin cancer, even melanoma, is high.

At Chapters Health System and its affiliates—Good Shepherd Hospice, HPH Hospice and LifePath Hospice, every day is devoted to educating our patients and keeping them in the place they call home. We are dedicated to ensuring that patients, young and old alike, and their families are able to make educated decisions about important healthcare matters. For more information, please call our helpful Chapters Health team at 1.866.204.8611 or send an email to info@chaptershealth.org.

About Phoebe Ochman

Phoebe Ochman, Director of Corporate Communications for Chapters Health System, manages all content and communications for the not-for-profit organization.

Learn How to Protect Your Largest Organ

Does the following ring true about your past habits? Have you ever lathered up with baby oil in preparation for a glorious day on the beach? Or did you buy a deluxe package of tanning salon sessions due to your desire to not look pale as a ghost for an upcoming vacation? If these scenarios sound familiar, hopefully you have corrected your habits by now and opted for applying lotion with a high SPF when outdoors and said no to speedy tanning on ultraviolet (UV) radiation beds. But is that enough to protect you against skin cancer?

Skin Protection Tips

It’s not just sunny days we need to worry about. If a day is partly cloudy, your skin can still be exposed to harmful UV rays. There are definitely some things you can do to protect yourself from skin cancer.

The following are some simple tips to assist in proactively keeping a skin cancer diagnosis to a minimum.

• Avoid sunburns and tanning beds. It is theorized even one severe and blistering sunburn in childhood can almost double your chance of developing melanoma later in life. Exposure to UV light from the sun or artificial source like tanning beds is one of the main risk factors for developing skin cancer.
• Seek shade. The sun is at its peak between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. If you need to be outdoors during this time, try to stay in the shade as much as possible.
• Apply sunscreen. It is best to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher each and every day. If you anticipate being outside for an extended period of time, lather on a water-resistant, broad-spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
• Wear protective clothing. Cover your head with a broad-brimmed hat and protect your eyes with UV-blocking sunglasses.

Get a Free Skin Cancer Screening

If caught early, most skin cancer can be completely cured. Take advantage of some of the free skin cancer screenings offered around Tampa Bay.

The Watson Clinic South and Highlands will host free skin cancer screenings on Saturday, May 5, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at 1033 N. Parkway Frontage Road and at 2300 E. County Rd. 540A. Appointments are required to take part in these screenings, so call 863.904.2656 to schedule your appointment at either of these two locations.

For the 22nd year, Morton Plant Mease is continuing its tradition of offering free skin cancer screenings on Melanoma Monday, May 7, 2018 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cheek-Powell Heart and Vascular Pavilion on the Morton Plant Hospital campus, 455 Pinellas St., Clearwater. The public is invited to this free event, but registration is required. To register, call 727.953.9013.

Every year for the past 20 years, Moffitt Cancer Center’s Mole Patrol® has offered free skin cancer screenings across the Tampa Bay area. The next Mole Patrol will take place at MacDill Air Force Base during AirFest on Saturday, May 12, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition, the Mole Patrol will offer screenings at Pier 60 on Clearwater Beach on Saturday, July 28, 2018 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weather permitting.