Transcript No Slide Title - Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation

The Sunny Truth Can Hurt
The Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma
Foundation
True or False?
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A suntan is an injury to the skin
T/F
In winter, skin does not need protection T/F
Sunblock should be applied every 2 hrs T/F
Tanning beds are healthy
T/F
Too much sun is the main cause of skin cancer
T/F
The “Good” Sun
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Provides light
Keeps us warm
Helps plants grow
Provides us with Vitamin D
Makes us feel good
The “Bad” - Too Much of It...
• Can burn or tan (injure) our skin
• Causes premature wrinkles
• Causes dark patches (age spots)
• Suppresses the immune system
• Causes cataracts and eye damage
• Causes skin cancers
The Ugly
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Skin cancer rates are rapidly increasing
1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer
1 million cases (non-melanoma) per year
Skin cancers can be disfiguring and deadly
What Is Skin Cancer?
• An abnormal overgrowth (tumor) of certain
skin cells.
• Benign (local, non life-threatening)
• Malignant (invasive or spreads)
• Can be deadly
• Prevention and early detection is key
Why Is Skin Cancer Important?
• It is the most common type of cancer in the U.S.
• One death every hour in U.S. (melanoma)
• Melanoma rates have tripled in past 30 years
• Significant sunburns in childhood often lead to
cancers
• Younger people are being diagnosed
@70% of adults do not use sunscreen
Causes of Skin Cancer
Ozone
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Tanning
Ultraviolet (UV) Radiation from the sun
UVA - tan, burn, skin damage, aging
UVB - may cause melanoma, skin cancers
Tanning booths - UVA/UVB rays
Genetics - family history
Chemical agents - exposure to coal, arsenic
1 in 3 teenage girls (U.S.) uses a tanning booth
Risky Business
Am I At Risk?
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Fair skin and red or blonde hair
Light colored eyes
Sunburns easily - or uses tanning beds
Many moles, freckles or birthmarks
Frequent outdoor work
Childhood sun exposure; serious sunburn
Family history
A Note About Moles
• Many shapes and sizes, colors and numbers
• You could have 1 or 100
• Often don’t pose a problem or concern
• Sometimes are dangerous or cancerous
• Know your skin and look out for changes
How Sun Damages Our Skin
• Sunburn and tanning - short-term
• Prematurely aged skin - longer term
• Wrinkles
• Loss of elasticity
• Dark patches ("age spots" or "liver spots")
• Actinic keratoses
• Skin cancers
Types of Skin Cancer
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Usually found on sun exposed areas (ears, face and
mouth)
• Symptoms - bump that turns into an open sore (red
or crusty, gets larger, sore that won't heal)
• If untreated can spread quickly (lymphatic blood
and nerve routes)
Types (continued)
• Basal Cell Carcinoma - Most common
• Accounts for more than 75% of skin cancers
• Mostly found on the face, neck, and hands
• Highly treatable, rarely spreads
• Symptoms - sore that oozes or bleeds, a red or
irritated area, a yellow or white area (scar-like), and
a pink pearly bump
Types (continued)
• Melanoma
-The most dangerous and deadly type
• Can develop on any part of the body (arms,
legs and trunk most common)
• When found early, it is considered highly
treatable.
Melanoma Symptoms
• A mole, freckle, or new/existing spot
• That changes color, size or shape
• It may have an irregular outline and
possibly be more than one color
A View of Skin Cancers
Squamous cell
Basal cell
Melanoma
Additional Melanomas
Not inclusive…may show up differently
Early Detection (ABCD and E)
 A - asymmetry - one half of the mole does not match the other half.
 B - border - the edges of the more are irregular, ragged, blurred or notched.
 C- color - the color over the mole is not the same. There may be differing
shades of tan, brown or black and sometimes patches of red, blue or white.
 D - diameter - the mole is larger than 6mm (approximately 1/4 inch or about
the size of a pencil eraser).
 E - elevation - is almost always present (a mole may also be flat).
 E - enlargement - a history of increase in the size of a mole is one of the
most important signs.
Signs and Symptoms Overview
 Any change on the skin (size, color or dark
pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth)
 Scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the
appearance of a bump or nodule
 The spread of pigmentation beyond its border
 Change in sensation (itchy, tender, or painful)
How Can I Protect Myself?
Prevention
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Do Not Burn -Avoid sun tans and sunbeds
Apply Sunscreen “generously” - SPF 15 +
Wear *Protective Clothing when possible
Seek Shade (rays strongest between 10-4)
• Use extra caution near water, snow, sand
(they reflect damaging rays)
* long sleeves, pants, wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses
I’m Protected!
“My helmet keeps me
safe when I ride my
bike on the street”
I am Not!
“What will keep
me safe out here”?
Detection - Skin Self-Exam
• Inspect your skin monthly
• Follow the A-B-C-D-E’s
• Include hard-to-see areas (scalp, back, ears,
buttocks, toes, etc)
• Perform exam in well-lit area
• In front of full-length mirror
Got Skin, Get Checked
• Spots on the skin that are new or changing
should be evaluated by a physician.
Get checked every 3 years between
ages 20-40 and every year over age 40
ACS guidelines
Treatment
• Biopsy first, excision (surgical removal) of
the growth if needed
• More surgery if stage has progressed
• Radiation or chemotherapy may be used
• Photodynamic therapy (drug or laser, kills
cancer cells)
How The Foundation is Helping
• The Foundation was established with the
vision to be "the voice for melanoma
prevention, detection, care and cure".
• It's Mission and focus is on melanoma
education, awareness and supporting
research to bring about a cure for this
deadly disease.
For more information on the
Foundation, visit our website
at
www.melanomaresource.org.
Key Reminders
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Skin cancers are on the rise and are serious
Excess sun is the main cause
Protection is key (sunblock, shade, etc)
Prevention begins in childhood
If found early is very treatable
Balance activity with protection
Love It…Know When to Leave it