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A post on skin cancer prevention...That’s easy enough; avoid sunburns, use sunscreen, and check your skin for unusual sores or changing moles. O.K. all done. Well, it turns out it’s a little more complicated than all that. So, let's take some time to understand the facts and the controversy surrounding skin cancer prevention. Yes, I said controversy. Surprised? You shouldn't be...Isn't there a controversy surrounding just about every issue now a days? You're shaking your head right now aren't you? Because you know it's true.
But seriously, here are some of the facts about skin cancer...
Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer. It is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing each year, representing a growing public concern. It has also been estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer at least once.
The most common warning sign of skin cancer is a change in the appearance of the skin, such as a new growth or a sore that will not heal. -- read more
O.k. - You might have already known all that. But did you know this?
The incidence of melanoma is increasing rapidly in women under the age of 40. It is now the most common cancer in young women ages 25-29, and second only to breast cancer in women ages 30-34.
Skin cancer is the leading cancer in men over age 50, ahead of prostate, lung and colon cancer. -- read full article
And these statistics are equally as troubling...
Only 14 percent of high school students reported routine sunscreen use with an SPF of 15 or higher when outside for more than an hour a day, according to an article published in the Journal of School Health in April 2006. The study showed little change in sunscreen use as measured in 1999, 2001 and 2003.
The study also found that routine sunscreen use is more common among females than males, among younger age groups than among older ones, and among white youth more than minority youth. -- read full article
And now for the controversy...
This is from The Cancer Blog.
When I slather sunscreen on the shoulders of my fair haired toddler, I trust that the claims on the bottle are accurate. I believe that by frequently covering is pale skin in cream, his epidermis will be safe, healthy and cancer free. It turns out this might not be the case. -- read more
So...Just when you think it's safe to go back into the sun, along comes information that I was totally unaware of. This is from Citizens for Sun Protection, an organization of parents, cancer survivors, healthcare professionals, business advocates and community leaders who believe there is need for comprehensive sunscreen standards.
Like most Americans, you may not realize the sunscreen you use is required to protect you from sunburn, but not adequately from skin cancer. That's because current sunscreen standards mainly require protection from the UVB rays that burn the outer layer of the skin, but not from the deep penetrating UVA rays that dermatologists also consider a cause of skin cancer.
Sunburn is bad, but skin cancer can be deadly. One American dies every hour from skin cancer and this rate continues to climb.
So, although sunscreen use increases each year, the rate of skin cancer is also increasing. How is this possible? -- read more from Citizens for Sun Protection
And for even more on the sunscreen controversy...
See: The Sunscreen Myth
Maybe we need to change the title of this post from "prevention" to "lowering the risk" of skin cancer. Because that actually seems to be the bottom line here.
Most of us believe that the way to prevent skin cancer is to always use sunscreen. But apparently, sunscreen may not ward off skin cancer.
The latest skin-cancer prevention advice is to stop trusting sunscreen as the front line of defense against harmful rays. -- read full MSNBC article
Then what can we do to lower our chances of developing skin cancer?
Lautenschlager and his colleagues carried out a comprehensive review on sun protection strategies worldwide, recently detailed online in the journal Lancet.
"Wearing sun-protective clothing and a hat and reducing sun exposure to a minimum should be preferred to sunscreens," Lautenschlager said. People tend to sunbathe for social reasons, he said. "Nevertheless, sunscreens should not be abused in an attempt to increase time in
