Dan's Papers - May 23, 2008 - The Y-Factor with Christian McLean

Okay, so by now you've probably gotten your first accidental sunburn of the season, right? Look, it happens to everyone. I got mine on Sunday, when a walk in the park turned into an entire day in the sun. It's regrettable because I hate to spend a lot of time in the sun without some kind of sunblock or protection, but as with every cloud, there's a silver lining: that pain (and the farmer's tan) reminded me that it was time I made my pre-summer visit to the dermatologist for a spot check.

With hundreds of freckles on my body, knowing what's safe and what should be watched isn't always easy, so I have the professionals help me out. I really need to be cautious given that I have fair skin and too much fun in the sun can become a nightmare later in life. A couple of years ago my dermatologist removed a potentially pre-cancerous mole from my collarbone, but without my visits who knows what would have happened? It could have very well turned to cancer.

There are two classifications of skin cancer: melanomas and non-melanomas. Non-melanomas include basal cells and squamous cells. At early stages these two are easily treatable and generally do not spread to other parts of the body. Melanomas, on the other hand, can spread to other parts of the body and can become increasingly difficult to treat. They are all brought about from exposure or over-exposure to the sun. So how to you prevent it?

The first and most obvious way is with sunblock. Everyone knows about UV (UVA & UVB) rays and how bad they are for you, so I won't press on about it, but if you're out in the sun, summer or winter, you should be wearing sunblock; SPF 15 or higher and use lip balm with SPF for you lips.

Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the UV rays are at their peak. Cover up, wear long sleeves, pants, and a hat, sit under an umbrella and for god sakes don't sunbathe in order to score that great summer tan - you are slowly but surely destroying your skin and by the time you're in your 60s if you haven't developed melanoma or the likes, your skin will look an old pair of leather boots. Oh, yeah, as for tanning beds - the International Agency for Research on Cancer found that people who use tanning beds before the age of 35 increase their chances of melanoma by 75%. So stay out of them! Use sunless tanning cream if you want to be tan.

Examine your skin or have someone else do it. The easiest way is to visit your local dermatologist and have a full exam. I try to go around February (so I'm running real late this year), because it gives me the ability have anything removed and, if surgery is required, I have plenty of time to heal before the summer comes. Between visits examine yourself. Cancer.org gives the following descriptions of what to look for. "Basal cell carcinomas often look like flat, firm, pale areas or small, raised, pink or red, translucent, shiny, waxy areas that may bleed following minor injury. Squamous cell carcinomas may look like growing lumps, often with a rough, scaly, or crusted surface. They may also look like flat reddish patches in the skin that grow slowly." As for melanomas, follow the ABCD detection method. Look for moles or sunspots that are asymmetrical, have irregular borders, uneven coloring, and increasing diameter. If you find a mole which develops any or all of these symptoms, visit your doctor. If caught early most cancerous or pre-cancerous moles can be removed and that is the end of it. I believe plastic surgeons can do the surgery as well, if you are worried about the scarring. If allowed to remain, some forms of cancer can spread and treatments like chemotherapy and radiation will be needed.

Skin cancer is preventable, treatable and doesn't have to ruin your life, yet millions of new cases are logged each year. I like to visit my dermatologist twice a year, once before the summer and once after. Although you should protect your skin all year round, the summer is usually when the most potential for damage can occur. Those spots you thought were nothing in April might have changed by October. It's just common sense to make the appointment and get your spots checked.