Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S. According to current estimates, 40 percent to 50 percent of Americans who live to age 65 will have skin cancer at least once. Older adults, with years of exposure, are not the only ones who need to be careful; the most serious type of skin cancer, melanoma, starts to be a problem for many Caucasians just as they reach adulthood. Fair-skinned people who have spent lots of time in the sun are especially vulnerable, but everyone, regardless of skin color, is at risk.

For everyone age 40 and over, the American Cancer Society recommends the following:

Preventing skin cancer begins with sun protection during childhood. Non-melanoma skin cancers (the most common cancer in America) are most often caused by unprotected sun exposure in childhood and adolescence. Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, often occurs in people who have deep, intense sunburns, particularly in childhood and adolescence. Even 1 or 2 blistering sunburns during childhood and the teen years increase the risk of skin cancer later in life.

Talk to your health care provider so you can be aware of your risk and determine the approach best for you. You may want to be routinely examined by a dermatologist or specially trained physician.

Links
For more information, visit the web site of the National Cancer Institute at http://www.cancernet.nci.nih.gov.

To learn about self-exams and protecting against skin cancer at all ages, visit the web site of The Skin Cancer Foundation at http://www.skincancer.org.

Sources
American Academy of Family Physicians. Cancer: early detection. Available on the Internet at http://www.familydoctor.org/x2383.xml. Accessed July 16, 2004.

American Academy of Family Physicians. Cancer screening guidelines. Amer Family Physician. 2001 Mar 15. Available on the Internet at http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010315/1101.html. Accessed July 16, 2004.

American Cancer Society. Skin cancer. 2002 Feb. Available on the Internet at http://www.cancer.org/downloads/PRO/SkinCancer.pdf. Accessed July 15, 2004.

National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services. Skin cancer (PDQ®): screening (health professional version). Available on the Internet at http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pddq/screening/skin/HealthProfessional/page2. Accessed July 15, 2004.

National Coalition for Skin Cancer Prevention. The radiating facts. Available on the Internet at http://www.sunsafety.org/radiate.htm. Accessed July 22, 2004.

Skin Cancer Foundation. Skin cancer: a concern for all ages. Available on the Internet at http://www.skincancer.org/older/index.php. Accessed July 15, 2004.

Texas Children’s Hospital. Overexposure to sun now can have harmful consequences. 2004 Jun 7. Available on the Internet at http://www.texaschildrenshospital.org/allabout/newscenter/ArticleDisplay.aspx?aid=1304. Accessed August 10, 2004.