Experts: Be Sun Smart This Summer; May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

Monday, June 2, 2014

ST. LOUIS- Now that summer has unofficially kicked off, more and more Missourians will be soaking up the sun in the months ahead, but doctors urge caution as the incidence of skin cancer continues to rise. Dr. Wei-Wei Huang, a dermatologist at Mercy Clinics in St. Louis, attributes the increase to sun exposure, environmental factors and the fact that people today are living longer. 
She says many people still think of skin cancer as merely an inconvenience that requires removal, which she calls a "dangerous underestimation" of the disease.
"Melanoma can be deadly," Huang warns. "If you don't take care of that, it can grow in your lymph nodes and can be all over your body, and people do die from that."
Huang recommends that Missourians protect themselves with hats, sunglasses and sunscreen, and be on the lookout for any suspicious moles or lesions. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, with an estimated 2 million Americans expected to be diagnosed this year.
Early detection is key with skin cancer, Huang stresses, and she urges Missourians to pay attention to any changes in their skin. She says different forms of skin cancer present in different ways, from a red, pimple-like bump to a dark, irregular-shaped mole. She recommends using the A-B-C-D-E rule to look for irregularities.
"A is asymmetry; B is a border, not smooth but jagged; C is color: the color is not evenly distributed, usually it is very dark; D is the diameter, usually more than a 6 mm diameter; and E is evolution: a mole starts to change," she explains.
The American Cancer Society says many skin cancer cases could be prevented by observing proper sun safety and avoiding indoor tanning.

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