Don't play around when it comes to skin cancer

First of all, I want to thank you for welcoming me and my husband to your beautiful community!

Now, about that beautiful sunshine we have been enjoying: I know you’ve heard it all before. Use sunscreen, don’t get skin cancer, et cetera. Well, you’re right. You have heard it before. And so have I. So why do skin cancer rates keep rising in the U.S.? Skin cancer is the number one most common cancer in the U.S., and also the most preventable. Why did I see five pre-cancerous skin spots and 1 confirmed case of skin cancer during my first week at the clinic here?  Finally, why did I get sunburned this weekend even though I know better?  I was already writing this article, so you can imagine how sheepish I felt when I started getting pink! 

The answer, for most of us, is in our behaviors and our society-driven beliefs, not from a lack of knowledge. We all enjoy being out in the sun, especially when there is such a beautiful lake and plenty of outdoor activities right out your front door. Many people even believe they are more attractive with a tan, and what can a little tan hurt anyway, right?

As it turns out, a “little” tan over a lifetime can cause quite a bit of damage. The most common types of skin cancer, known as non-melanoma skin cancers, depend on a person’s lifetime ultra-violet (UV) exposure, not necessarily the deep, painful sunburns most of us worry about. So even if you don’t burn, you are still damaging your skin and causing changes which could later become skin cancer. Tanning can also cause cosmetic changes, such as an increase in facial wrinkles.

Sunburns, of course, have their consequences as well. Painful sunburns are related to melanoma, the more serious and sometimes life-threatening form of skin cancer.

What is the solution?  The American Cancer Society advocates several easy steps. It is important to protect yourself, even on cloudy days, because the sun’s UV rays still penetrate the clouds even when light doesn’t. Use SPF 15 or higher “full-spectrum” sunscreens that protect against both UVA and UVB, the two kinds of damaging sun rays.

Additionally, reapply every two hours or after swimming, towel drying, or sweating, even with “waterproof” sunscreen. Shade and protective clothing can be important allies in your fight against UV exposure. Wearing a hat and UV-blocking sunglasses is a big help, along with tight-weave t-shirts, or better yet, long sleeve shirts. If you can see through it when you hold it up to the light, it won’t protect you!  It is also helpful to stay out of the sun and find some shade during the peak UV hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. That is not to say that you shouldn’t get outside and play, however!

Enjoy your town and the surrounding country, but be safe while you do it. You will thank yourself for it in your skin cancer free years to come.

n Stephanie Gering is a second-year medical student at the University of Washington. She is participating in a summer clinical medicine program under the supervision of Scott Dunn, M.D., a member of Bonner General Hospital’s medical staff. The facts in this article were supplied by the American Cancer Society. For more information, visit www.cancer.org.