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Sun Safety Tips
(Summer 2006)

Summer time is here and it is time to enjoy the great outdoors.  When you do, protect yourself and your family from skin damage.  The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays, responsible for tans, can also cause sunburns, wrinkles, premature skin aging, and skin cancer.  Take steps to avoid damage to your skin:

Use a broad spectrum sunscreen:  Make sure your sunscreen blocks both UVB and UVA agents.  This is not evident from the SPF number.  Look for one of the following ingredients: titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone, dioxybenzone, oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, or methyl anthranailate.

Apply lots of sunscreen:  Dr. Carl Schanbacher of Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston recommends 1 teaspoon for the head and neck, 1 teaspoon for each arm, 1-3 teaspoons for the trunk, and at least 1 teaspoon for each leg.

Put sunscreen on 30 minutes before you leave the house:  This allows the sunscreen to absorb well and become fixed to the skin.  Reapply sunscreen every two hours.

Wear a hat and sunglasses:  Wear a wide brim hat to protect your neck and ears.  Be sure your sunglasses have 100% UVA/UVB protection.  Long-sleeved clothing made of woven fabric is effective.  You can also purchase sun-protective clothing.

Avoid the sun during peak UV hours:  UV radiation is most intense between the hours of 10 AM and 4 PM.

If you discover an unusual mole - asymmetrical instead of round, irregular borders and edges, moles that have turned a different color, or moles larger than the size of a pencil eraser - or a scaly patch or a sore that doesn’t heal, see your doctor or a dermatologist.

Sun Smarts
Cut Your Risk for Skin Cancer
(summer 2002)

Summer is here and it's prime time for sun exposure. If you came to one of our health fairs, you may have taken advantage of Fallon Community Health Plan's sun safety booth. If so, you were may have been shocked to see first hand the damage your face has incurred from the sun.

Half of all new cancers are skin cancers. Approximately eighty percent of new cases will be basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. According to the American Cancer Society, both of these have a better than 95 percent cure rate if detected and treated early. Ominously, melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, has increased dramatically, soaring 31 percent in women and 17 percent in men between 1995 and 1999 according to the Department of Public Health. Melanoma is a skin cancer that arises in cells called melanocytes, cells that make the brown pigment called melanin. Six out of seven skin cancer deaths are from melanoma.

People who spend time in the sun are at a greater risk of developing skin cancer. Risk factors for melanoma include:
· Family history of melanoma
· Dysplastic nevi (non-cancerous, but unusual looking moles)
· Previous melanoma
· Weakened immune system
· Many nevi (moles): more than 50
· Severe, blistering sunburns, particularly if this occurred as a child or teenager
· Many freckles
· Fair skin and light eyes
· Frequent visits to tanning salons

Examining your skin regularly for any suspicious mole is the best way to detect skin cancer when it is still amenable to cure by simple excision. If melanoma is not treated early it may metastasize (spread) to other areas of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lungs, liver, brain or bones. Once this happens, there is a poorer chance of recovery.

If you see any of the following signs of skin cancer, or pre-cancer, consult your doctor immediately:
· Skin growth that increases in size and looks pearly, translucent, tan, brown, black, red, pink, or multicolored
· Mole that changes in color, size, or in texture, becomes irregular in shape, or is bigger than a pencil eraser
· Spot or growth that continues to itch, hurt, crust, scab, erode, or bleed
· Open sore that last for more than four weeks, or heals and then reopens
· Scaly or crusty bump that is dry and rough and may produce a tender sensation

Sun Safety Tips from the American Academy of Dermatology:
· Apply broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15
· Reapply sunscreen every two hours when outdoors, even on cloudy days. Reapply immediately after coming out of the water.
· Wear protective, tightly woven clothing
· Wear a wide brimmed hat and sunglasses with UV ray protection
· Stay in the shade whenever possible
· Protect children by keeping them out of the sun, minimizing sun exposure, and applying sunscreens beginning at age six months