Arrival Of Summer Could Spell Trouble For Your Skin!

Main Category: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Also Included In: Preventive Medicine
Article Date: 16 May 2009 - 2:00 PDT

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As Memorial Day Weekend and the opening of the summer beach season fast approach, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks of developing skin cancer and what steps can be taken to prevent it.

According to the American Cancer Society, more than one million people across the United States are currently affected by skin cancer, including the most serious type, melanoma. This year alone, more than 68,700 new cases of melanoma are expected nationally, with 2,500 in New Jersey. The Garden State ranks sixth in the nation for number of new melanoma cases. Precautions such as avoiding sun exposure during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, and avoiding tanning beds and sun lamps all contribute to the prevention of skin cancer.

Early detection of melanoma can be found by following a simple ABCD assessment:

-- Asymmetry (one half of the mole does not match the other half)

-- Border irregularity (the edges of a mole are ragged, notched, or blurred)

-- Color (the pigmentation of a mole is not uniform, with variable colors of tan, brown, or black)

-- Diameter of a mole is greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser)

Soure: Cancer Institute of New Jersey

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