Skin Cancer Precautions: It Can Happen to You

A few years ago a friend lost her husband after watching skin cancer eat away his face and hearing him cry out in pain. His death left her devastated. More recently, her mother had to deal with the same type of skin cancer. By the time her mother was diagnosed, my friend was much more knowledgeable and much more willing to be pro-active in helping her mother fight the skin cancer with foreknowledge and proper care-such as getting a second opinion. She also wants to keep other families from the pain her family is now going through--for the second time.

For years we've made fun of the image of the Victorian lady with her long sleeves, wide hats and the parasol that protected her delicate skin from sunlight. We laughed, as we lay out under the sun to get that tan or burned as we neglected sunscreen applications. After all, a burn would go away and a tan is healthy.

Not so. The Skin Cancer Foundation said, "Squamous cell carcinomas may also occur where skin has suffered certain kinds of injury: burns, scars, long-standing sores, sites previously exposed to X-rays or certain chemicals...."

There are several kinds of skin cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation says, "Basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of skin cancer, affecting 800,000 Americans each year."

"About 80 percent of the new skin cancer cases will be basal cell carcinoma, 16 percent are squamous cell carcinoma, and 4 percent are melanoma," says the American Academy of Dermatology. "Both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma have a better than 95 percent cure rate if detected and treated early."

Light hair, fair skin individuals are at highest risk, especially if they expose themselves to sunlight on a regular basis without protection. What sort of protection? Use skin protection of SPF 15 or higher, don't sun bathe under artificial or real sunlight, and wear protective clothing. The Victorians had this one right. Too much sun not only damages the skin temporarily, but also can cause permanent damage. Many adult onset cancers began in childhood. It is important to teach our children good sun and skin care habits, by being good examples.