Routine skin cancer screenings may save your life

More than 1 million people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year. That’s more than all other cancers combined.

According to the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS), malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, accounts for just 5 percent of all skin cancers but leads to 75 percent of deaths from the disease, and is increasing faster than any other cancer in America.

Studies have shown that adopting a comprehensive sun protection program that includes monthly selfexaminations and yearly screenings by a dermatologist can substantially lower skin cancer risk. Screenings are quick and easy. They are noninvasive visual inspections of the entire body and only take two or three minutes.

Dr. Rhoda Narins, New Yorkbased dermatologic surgeon and president of the ASDS, encourages men and women to get screened by their dermatologist once each year. “If you find any changes in the size, color, shape or texture of a spot or any other unusual changes in your skin, call your dermatologist immediately,” she said.

Melanoma is especially hard to stop once it has spread to other parts of the body. However, it can be readily treated if detected in its earliest stages.

Golden Globe-winning actress Mariska Hargitay, star of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” understands the importance of protecting and examining one’s skin. “I never forget to apply a moisturizer with sun protection, especially on days when I know we’ll be shooting a scene outdoors. I’ve also started to set aside time each month to examine my skin. It’s become a regular habit.”

How can you stay safe?

1. Apply a daily moisturizer with broad spectrum sun protection every day before going outside. This provides skin with essential moisture while protecting skin from the sun’s most harmful rays.

2. Examine skin at least once a month to search for any spots that seem to have changed size, color or shape. Focus on your neck, chest and torso, and use a bright light, full-length mirror, hand-mirror and blow-dryer to inspect hard-to-see areas such as the scalp and back of the neck.

3. Learn your “ABCDs of moles and melanoma” and alert your dermatologist immediately to any of the following key warning signs: Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Color variability and Diameter larger than a pencil eraser.

4. Schedule a screening appointment once a year in order to increase your chances of detecting and treating melanoma.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate, Inc.