Remember, May is Melanoma Awareness Month.
skin cancer is almost entirely
preventable. Fortunately for
older people, prevention is not
that big a burden: it just takes
some consistent precaution. It’s
pretty much a three-pronged
program: 1) stay out of tanning
beds, 2) use effective sun
protection, and 3) check your
skin. The first part is exceedingly
easy: simply never climb into
a tanning bed; more people
develop skin cancer from UV
tanning than develop lung cancer
from smoking.
Proper sun protection starts
with timing. The hours between
10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. are
typically the most UV-intense,
so plan outside adventures for
early morning or late afternoon.
When you do go outside,
seek shade and wear sun-safe
clothing, including a long-sleeved
shirt and long pants made of
densely woven materials, a wide
brimmed hat, and UV-filtering
sunglasses. Use an SPF 15
or higher broad-spectrum
sunscreen (SPF 30+, water-
resistant sunscreen for extended
or intense outdoor exposures
such as on the golf course) and
reapply at least every two hours
or immediately after swimming
or heavy sweating.
Finally, along with protecting
your skin, watch for suspicious
growths. The Skin Cancer
Foundation recommends
head-to-toe self-examination
once a month and an annual
visit to a dermatologist for a
professional total-body exam.
Doing so will give you the best
chance of discovering skin cancer
at an early, easily treatable stage.
Be alert to any growth with
an irregular border, multiple
colours, and increased size —
or any other notable change.
Persistent pain, irritation,
itching, bleeding or crusting
at any skin site should also be
brought to your dermatologist’s
attention, as well as any new
lesion appearing after age forty.
Follow good habits, and
you will vastly improve your
chances of avoiding skin cancer
or finding it while it is still
easily treatable. I also want to
emphasize the importance of
overall health. Well-balanced
nutrition, good sleep, and UV
protection, for example, help to
keep your immune system strong
so that you can better fight off
skin diseases. Also, dangerous
habits like smoking, excessive
alcohol consumption, and drug
dependency all contribute to
dermatological issues. The bad
effects of bad habits add up,
increasing your chance of any
and all diseases, including skin
cancers — so take care
of yourself!
Source: Skin Cancer
Foundation (skincancer.org) ●
news&views SPRING 2019 | 7