By Camilla Hodge
Warm weather and clear skies have students soaking up summer sunshine. But far from getting a healthy tan, students may be putting their health at risk.
The rarest but deadliest form of skin cancer, melanoma, is directly related to sun exposure, and the highest incidence rate is among young people in their late teens and early twenties, said Dr. Lloyd Hoffman of the BYU Health Center.
Lying around in the sun trying to get a tan doesn”t help, he said. And neither does going to the tanning beds. In fact, the increase of melanoma occurrences in the past two decades is matched by an increase of tanning beds and booths, Hoffman said.
The common perception of young people that tan skin equals beauty may relate to the fact that melanoma is now the second most common cancer among women in their twenties, according to a 2005 study referred to in Newseek.
Melanoma tumors are primarily black or brown moles that appear on the skin. However, warnings signs can indicate risk of cancer.
A mole that changes size, color or shows growths along its edge, like tentacles, needs to be examined by a doctor, Hoffman said.
The American Cancer Society calls it the ABCD rule: A for asymmetry, if one side does not match the other; B for border irregularity, ragged or notched edges; C for color, if the color of the mole is not uniform, if it has patches of red or blue; and D for diameter, normally moles do not exceed 1/4 inch in diameter.
If there is any question about a mole, a doctor should examine it, Hoffman said.
“The problem with melanoma is it can start metastasizing before you”re even aware there”s a problem,” he said. “It”s nasty.”
When a cancer cells metastasizes, it leaves the primary tumor and spreads to other organs, making it much more difficult to treat, Hoffman said.
However, mortality rates are dropping due to early detection.
The American Cancer Society recommends monthly full-body mole checks.
Any suspicious moles can be removed surgically in a very minor procedure. This is still the most direct and widely-used treatment for skin cancer, said Dr. Daniel Simmons, director of BYU”s Cancer Research Center.
Prevention is equally important.
“Dermatologists say people who are fairer and have less pigment in the skin are more susceptible,” Hoffman said.
Melanin, the skin”s pigment, is what gives skin a brown or tan color, he said. The more melanin that exists in the skin, the more natural protection the body has from harmful effects of the sun.
Local tanning salon owners and employees are aware of the risks associated with tanning, evidenced by the disclosure forms clients must sign before tanning. The Salon employees also offer client-specific tanning advice according to skin color and tone.
In the tanning industry, researchers look for a ”safer” tan by creating new tanning beds that better control the amount of damaging rays emitted by the lights. Some argue it is better to tan in a bed where the length and intensity of exposure can be controlled rather than tanning outside where no control exists.
Hoffman recommends wearing sunscreen whenever in the sun. According to the American Cancer Society Website, a palm-sized amount of at least SPF 15 sunscreen applied 20 to 30 minutes before sun exposure is adequate. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours.
