Summer is Almost Here: Avoid the Burn and Save Your Skin from Cancer
More than two people die from skin cancer in the U.S. every hour and having more than five sunburns can double your risk for melanoma. But when detected early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99%.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and doctors at Atrium Health Navicent urge everyone to take steps to be sun-safe when planning summer activities. Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, an invisible type of radiation that comes from the sun, tanning beds and sunlamps, can lead to skin cancer, as UV rays are especially damaging to skin cells.
“While skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S., you can reduce your risk by applying a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher before you go outside,” said Dr. Paul Dale, chief of surgical oncology for Atrium Health Navicent and medical director for the Atrium Health Navicent Peyton Anderson Cancer Center. “If you’re concerned about a mole or another spot on your skin, don’t hesitate to see your primary care doctor or dermatologist. The earlier we identify cancer, the better we can treat it.”
Individuals can take the following preventative steps to protect their skin from too much UV exposure and lower their skin cancer risk:
• Stay in the shade as much as possible, under an umbrella, tree or other shelter.
• Use sunscreen and wear protective clothing when you’re outside, even if you’re in the shade. Full-spectrum sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or higher should be applied in a thick layer on all exposed skin. The higher the SPF, the more protection the sunscreen offers. Be sure to reapply at least every two hours and after swimming, sweating or toweling off.
• Wear a hat that has a brim that shades your face, ears and the back of your neck. If you wear a baseball cap, protect your ears and the back of your neck with clothing, sunscreen or by staying in the shade.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts. Sunglasses also protect the skin around your eyes from sun exposure. Sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB rays offer the best protection. Wrap-around styles block UV rays from coming in from the side. Moles that itch or change shape, size, or color should be examined as soon as possible by a primary care physician or dermatologist.
Atrium Health Navicent Peyton Anderson Cancer Center offers testing that not only determines the scope of skin cancer, but also the likelihood of reoccurrence throughout your body. Castle testing, for melanoma and other skin cancers, helps doctors grade cancer by examining its genetic makeup. Another test, Signatera, detects tumor-specific DNA in the patient’s blood, thus detecting recurrence months prior to it showing up on PET or CT scans.
Patients diagnosed with melanoma have better outcomes when they have access to comprehensive care. In addition to both the Castle and Signatera specialized testing, Atrium Health Navicent Peyton Anderson Cancer Center offers expertise from a multidisciplinary team that offers a range of services caring for patients from screening and diagnosis, through treatment and into survivorship. The Cancer Center is accredited by the Commission on Cancer with Commendation – Gold Level.
For more information about Atrium Health Navicent Peyton Anderson Cancer Center, call 478-633-3000. To find a doctor, visit www.NavicentHealth.org and click “Find A Doctor.”
About Atrium Health Navicent
Atrium Health Navicent is the leading provider of health care in central and south Georgia and is committed to its mission of elevating health and wellbeing through compassionate care. Atrium Health Navicent is part of Advocate Health, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the third-largest nonprofit health system in the United States, created from the combination of Atrium Health and Advocate Aurora Health. Atrium Health Navicent provides high-quality, personalized care in 53 specialties at more than 50 facilities throughout the region. As part of the largest, integrated, nonprofit health system in the Southeast, it is also able to tap into some of the nation’s leading medical experts and specialists with Atrium Health, allowing it to provide the best care close to home – including advanced innovations in virtual medicine and care. Throughout its 130-year history in the community, Atrium Health Navicent has remained dedicated to enhancing health and wellness for individuals throughout the region through nationally recognized quality care, community health initiatives and collaborative partnerships. It is also one of the leading teaching hospitals in the region, helping to ensure viability for rural health care for the next generation. For more information, please visit www.NavicentHealth.org.
About Advocate Health
Advocate Health is the third-largest nonprofit, integrated health system in the United States, created from the combination of Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health. Providing care under the names Advocate Health Care in Illinois; Atrium Health in the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama; and Aurora Health Care in Wisconsin, Advocate Health is a national leader in clinical innovation, health outcomes, consumer experience and value-based care. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, Advocate Health services nearly 6 million patients and is engaged in hundreds of clinical trials and research studies, with Wake Forest University School of Medicine serving as the academic core of the enterprise. Advocate Health is nationally recognized for its expertise in heart and vascular, neurosciences, oncology, pediatrics and rehabilitation, as well as organ transplants, burn treatments and specialized musculoskeletal programs. Advocate Health employs more than 160,000 teammates across 69 hospitals and over 1,000 care locations, and offers one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs with over 2,000 residents and fellows across more than 200 programs. Committed to redefining care for all, Advocate Health provides more than $6 billion in annual community benefits.