May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, a joint venture of the American Academy of Dermatology and the American Cancer Society. New research suggests that up to 3 million Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year.
The most serious form, malignant melanoma, will kill about 8,420 people. Fortunately, malignant melanoma, like most skin cancers, can be cured if detected early.
Fifty percent of fair-skinned Caucasians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Asians, Hispanics, Latinos, and African-Americans can also develop skin cancer. Sun damage begins in childhood and is cumulative. As parents, we can be proactive for our children by following the American Academy of Dermatology guidelines:
- Seek shade
- Wear protective clothing
- Use sunscreen
The sun’s most damaging rays are present in the middle of the day, when our children are at school. Parents can work with schools by asking that health education programs include information on skin cancer awareness and protection. Parents can also make sure that shade structures are in place for lunch and outdoor activities. The American Academy of Dermatology sponsors a “shade structure” program for which schools can apply.
Finally, if you don’t wear hats because you don’t like the way you look, check out Wallaroo Hats in Boulder, Colorado. The hats are the most flattering I’ve found, and the company donates 1% of its profits to skin cancer research and prevention. See the hats here: Wallaroo hats.
ShareThisTags: American Academy of Dermatology, American Cancer Society, international adoption, Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Wallaroo Hats
Bob Marley died of Melanoma right ?“;
As far as I know, yes. Apparently he had acral lentiginous melanoma, a type of melanoma that specifically affects Africans and people of African descent, as well as Asians.
Sunblocks can also reduce the incidence of skin cancer by preventing UV to harm your skin.”~
Absolutely, Andrew. We wear sunscreen every day.
melanoma is quite dangerous, so make sure that you get early detection or early treatment`-:
right you are, angel. early detection and treatment is crucial. thank you for the reminder.
you can reduce the risk of skin cancer buy using sunblocks if you are going to get prolonged exposure to the sun `”
sunscreens are crucial and should be reapplied for maximum effectiveness. as a matter of fact, we buy ours by the case. great advice, elijah. thanks.
melanoma is deadly but is is often hard to get that disease too-.,
Hi Aaron: I checked with a dermatologist, who told me that between 1% and 2% of North Americans with pale skin will develop melanoma in their lifetimes, fewer than will develop cancers of the breast or prostate, for example. Below is a link to a fact sheet issued by the American Academy of Dermatology, which gives much more information. Thanks for your interest and comment.
http://www.aad.org/media/background/factsheets/fact_melanoma.html
skin cancer is rarer than colon cancer but just as deadly*“
true, daniel. and in each disease, early detection is critical to survival. thanks for the reminder.
melanoma as just as deadly as the common forms of cancer”:”
skin cancer is usually caused by UV exposure, therefore, it really makes sense to always use those UV block creams when going o*~*
melanoma can really kill people in such a very short time specially if the immune system is compromised `;~
well, skin cancer incidence would be increasing because of the hole on the ozone layer ‘`,