Ochsner Cancer Experts Offer Tips for Saving Your Skin, Free Screenings
NEW ORLEANS - For many people in South Louisiana, this time of year means spending time outdoors and at the same time, exposing their skin to more time in the sun. However, the over-exposure to the sun is not without considerable cost to your health, in the form of skin cancer, and it's being diagnosed in over one million Americans every year.
"The incidence and mortality rate for the deadliest of skin cancers, cutaneous melanoma, is increasing at a faster rate than any other cancer," says Ochsner Surgical Oncologist, Dr. Adam Riker. "The development of skin cancers is occurring at a younger age compared to the past, most likely because of the increased ‘glorification' of sun, especially in women between the ages of 16 and 35."
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous Cell Carcinoma, both common skin cancers, are 100 times more common than melanoma, but melanoma accounts for 6 of every 7 skin cancer-related deaths. There are genetic risk factors for the development of melanoma, which you have no control over, such as, blond hair, blue eyes, more than fifty moles on your body and/or, two major sunburns before the age of 18.
Almost all skin cancers are due to over-exposure to the sun, with intense sun-burning resulting in the most severe damage to the body's DNA. But, even if you're not basking in the outdoors, tanning beds can produce similar, if not worse, results than over-exposure to the sun. The use of tanning beds provides direct over-exposure to UV-radiation in an essentially uncontrolled environment. Research shows that exposure to tanning beds increases the risk for developing melanoma, especially in women ages 45 years or younger.
So, what should you be doing to protect yourself? Dr. Riker offers the following advice:
• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. Use a generous amount of sunscreen on all exposed skin, including your lips, the tips of your ears, and the backs of your hands and neck.
• Apply sunscreen 20 to 30 minutes before sun exposure.
• Apply sunscreen to your children before they go outdoors and teach older children and teens how to use sunscreen
• Wear sunglasses that block both UV-A and UV-B rays.
• Wear a wide brimmed hat to cover your ears and protective clothing when in the sun for prolonged periods.
• Check your skin regularly and report changes to your doctor. Be on the lookout for new skin growths or changes in existing moles, freckles, bumps and birthmarks.
• Have regular skin exams by your dermatologist, at least once a year. Sooner, if you identify anything suspicious on your skin that may be new or may have changed with time.
• Perform full body skin exams at home on a monthly basis and have your dermatologist perform a full body skin examination at least once a year.
If you're planning of spending some time in the sun at the Algiers Riverfest this year, Ochsner physicians will be offering free skin cancer screenings, based upon the current ACS cancer screening guidelines, as well as information on colon cancer, prostate cancer, cervical cancer, breast cancer and skin cancer. The Algiers Riverfest will be held on April 17th and 18th from 11:00am to 6:30pm in Old Algiers. Visit the Ochsner Tent for your free screening.
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