Transcript Team SunSmart

High School Teens Need to be Smart
when it comes to the Sun!
THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR SKIN

The skin is your body’s largest organ

It protects you from the sun and from
infections
THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR SKIN
Human skin is comprised of three layers:


Epidermis,

Dermis, and

Subcutis.
Cells in the epidermis, called melanocytes,
produce melanin. Skin color depends on the
activity of the melanocytes in the epidermis.
THERE ARE THREE MAIN TYPES OF SKIN CANCER


Basal Cell Carcinoma
75% of all skin cancers
Squamous Cell
Carcinoma
20% of all skin cancers
Mm

Melanoma
5% of all skin cancers but
responsible for 75% of skin
cancer deaths
SKIN CANCER FACTS

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
Skin cancer is the most common cancer but also the most
preventable
Childhood and Teenage sunburn is the most common cause of skin
cancer
More than 1,000,000 skin cancer cases are diagnosed in the US
annually and over 150,000 people die from melanoma each year
Skin cancer fatality rates are higher among African-Americans
than other ethnic groups
One in every five Americans will develop skin cancer in their
lifetime
WHAT CAUSES SKIN CANCER?


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UV radiation causes increased activity in the
melanocytes
This increased activity is the cause of freckles, tanned
skin and sunburns
Sometimes this leads to changes in cell structure and
function, causing cancer anywhere on your body – not
only where the sun has burned you.
UV RADIATION


Many types of rays come from the sun: heat rays, visible light, and
……
invisible ultraviolet light or UV radiation!
Two kinds of UV radiation reach the earth:
1) UVA rays – longer rays penetrate skin
deeply and cause wrinkling and tanning
2) UVB rays – shorter rays which cause burning
of the skin
Tanning and burning of the skin are signs of
skin damage!
LIFE WITHOUT SUNSCREEN?
Overexposure to UV Radiation causes:



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Sunburn
DNA Damage
Skin Cancer
Premature aging (wrinkles and dark spots)
Cataracts
Immune system depression
WHAT IS MELANOMA?
The most dangerous form of skin cancer
 Spreads quickly throughout the body
 Caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation
 About 59,580 Americans develop melanoma
 People of all races and ethnic backgrounds are susceptible

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF MELANOMA

Asymmetry of mole or spot on skin (one
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Border irregularity (edges of the mole

Color changes or variation (brown,

Diameter greater than 6mm (larger

Evolving moles – any changes in size or
half does not match the size or color of
the other half)
are irregular, notched, blurred or
ragged)
black, tan, red, blue, and white) on a
single mole
than the size of a pencil eraser)
color – is a sign that the mole could be a
melanoma
American Cancer Society “ABCDE Method”
ABCDE’s of Melanoma
SKIN TONE


Melanin helps protect the skin against effects of the sun,
such as skin cancers and premature aging. In darker skin,
melanin provides a sun protection factor (SPF)
approximately equivalent to 13.4, compared to 3.4 in fair
skinned individuals.
This discrepancy illustrates why skin cancer is more
prevalent in Caucasian people; it is, in fact, the most
common type of cancer in the US among Caucasians.
Their inherently light skin color and low amounts of
melanin leave them vulnerable to the sun’s carcinogenic
(cancer-causing) ultraviolet rays. UV light, also emitted by
tanning beds/lamps, is, in many cases, the causative culprit
of skin cancer in Caucasian America
SKIN CANCER AFFECT PEOPLE OF ALL COLORS
ON THE BRIGHT SIDE…
Skin Cancer is:
 Highly preventable
 98% curable when treated in early stages
 Extremely preventable
Early Detection and Good SunSmart Behavior are the Keys to
avoiding serious illness and premature aging.
AVOID TANNING BEDS

This rise in skin cancer rates happens to
coincide with the growth of indoor tanning,
which was first introduced in the US in the late
1970s, and is now a $5 billion a year industry
here.2 People who tan indoors are 74 percent
more likely to develop melanoma,3 2.5 times
more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma,
and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell
carcinoma than non-tanners.4
DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR? IT WON’T HAPPEN TO ME

As a teenager I wanted to be tan, but for someone
with naturally blonde hair and Fitzpatrick Skin
Type 1 — the lightest skin type — a tan isn’t
natural or sustainable, especially not in winter
living in New Jersey. At 16, I was legally permitted
to tan indoors. My parents were against it, but I
started tanning anyway, at first weekly, then 2-3
times a week. I ended up tanning up to 16 times a
month for approximately 12-15 minutes a session.
IT CAN’T HAPPEN TO ME…..

A month or two later my mother noticed that the
freckle on my stomach had changed, and she wanted
me to have it looked at. I went to see a
dermatologist, who thought it looked finem but he
did a biopsy, which left an inch-long scar. I was
scared and I convinced myself that everything would
be fine.
IT DID HAPPEN TO ME…..

Three weeks later the doctor called to tell me
that the “freckle” was a melanoma, the
deadliest kind of skin cancer. I dropped the
phone, and broke down. I had truly believed
what I’d been taught by the industry — that
tanning prevented certain cancers and that the
industry had the documents and scientists to
back up these claims. Over the next six weeks I
had many doctors’ appointments, three more
biopsies for lesions on my breast, leg, and arm
— and finally excisional surgery to remove the
melanoma, which fortunately was at an early
stage, and non-invasive. Today I have a 6-inch
scar on my stomach and so much fear.
WHAT IS TEAM SUNSMART?
The Ray Festa Memorial Foundation (RFMF) created Team SunSmart™ to
educate middle school and high school students and athletes about the
damaging effects of excessive unprotected sun exposure.
Some scientists estimate that a child who wears sunscreen everyday will cut
his or her risk of developing skin cancer as an adult by as much as 70%.
“This is a great idea! I wish we knew when we were kids that we
should wear sunscreen – I might not have all of these wrinkles now. I
know guys who have had lots of moles removed, so I want to make
sure all of the kids today wear sunscreen and put it in their
equipment bags so they always have it.”
- Yogi Berra, Yankee Hall-of-Famer & RFMF Advisory Board
Member
WE ALL NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR SKIN
Wear Sunscreen of at least SPF15 every day of the year
 Sunscreen must say Broad Spectrum (so it protects against both UVA
and UVB rays)
o Apply a generous coat onto your
skin – DO NOT rub it – let it
soak in.
o Reapply sunscreen at least every
two hours or immediately after
getting wet from swimming or
sweating.
o Cover up with hats, clothing and
sunglasses – wear lip balm

PROTECTION FROM THE SUN
PLAYING SPORTS
OR JUST BEING YOU
SELF EXAM

Finding Melanoma Early: How to Check Your Skin
What you'll need:
 Flashlight
 Two small chairs or stools
 Hand mirror with a long handle
 Hairbrush or blow dryer for checking your scalp
 Large wall mirror, preferably full-length, in a well-lighted
area

Video on how to do a self skin check:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDsH63A0lRQ
TAKE THE QUIZ
QUIZ
1.
Which of these factors means you're more likely to get
skin cancer?
a)
Fair skin
b)
Having a relative with skin cancer
c)
Numerous moles
d)
All of the above
The correct answer is: d. All of the above
All of these conditions can increase your risk of skin cancer. You're also
more likely to develop the disease if you live in a hot, sunny place, if you
had frequent sunburns as a child, or if you've had skin cancer before.
2. What does melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin
cancer usually look like?
a)
b)
c)
d)
A large irregular mole
A rough scaly patch
A small pearly lump
A large red bump
The correct answer is: a. A large, irregular mole
Any of these may be a sign of skin cancer, but only the abnormal mole could
signal melanoma, the type of skin cancer that's most likely to grow and spread.
If you have an odd-looking mole, give it the ABCDE test: Most melanomas are
Asymmetrical, have irregular Borders, are uneven in Color, and have a
Diameter larger than that of a pencil eraser, and have a shape that is
Evolving. If the mole fits this description, see a dermatologist right away.
3. It's safe to tan as long as you don't burn.
●
True or False
The correct answer is: False
Sunburn is undoubtedly one of the biggest causes of skin cancer, but a tan
is far from harmless. Tan skin is damaged skin. Every time your skin
turns a shade darker, skin cells get damaged by the sun's ultraviolet rays.
After many years, that damage can add up to cancer. And by the way,
tanning at a salon isn't any safer than doing it the old-fashioned way.
4. Skin cancer is easily curable in its early stages.
●
True or False
The correct answer is: True
Experts say the cure rate for skin cancer would be close to 100 percent if
every person with the disease sought medical care quickly. That's why it's
so important to know the signs of skin cancer and be vigilant. Give
yourself a monthly skin self-exam in front of a full-length mirror, and use
a handheld mirror to check hard-to-see places.
5. Skin cancer only shows up on parts of the body that are
exposed to the sun.

True or False
The correct answer is: False
Most often, skin cancer shows up on the face, arms, neck, and other
places that get plenty of sun, but the disease can strike anywhere.
When giving yourself a skin self-exam, don't forget to check regions
like the skin between your buttocks or around your genitals.
QUESTIONS?
DISCUSSION & QUESTIONS
What did you learn?
 What can you do?
 What are you going to do?
 How can we help each other?

HOW CAN YOU HELP?
Volunteer …work at an event or make phone calls from home
 Download Playbooks from our website and run your own programs
 Tell people about the organization and have them join our mailing
list.

TEAM SUNSMART
If you want to become a Team
member to help spread the
message, please send an email
to [email protected].
We always need help!
FOR MORE INFO
LiveSunSmart.org
Live SunSmart Foundation
973 744 3557
Live SunSmart
Foundation
FOLLOW us
@LiveSunSmart