By Samantha C. Le
Sharlene Gilmer and Charity Nielsen are close friends and roommates. Sharlene is a fair-skinned, blue-eyed blonde who calls Texas home. She has a light sprinkling of freckles across her forehead, a reminder of her last sunburn. Charity is an olive-skinned, brown-eyed brunette who grew up in Arizona. Her brown hair gets lighter in the sun, while her skin gets increasingly darker.
Although they look quite different, the two have many things in common. Both are seniors, preparing to graduate. Both love watching television on Thursday nights. Both have a flair for the creative and artistic. Both enjoy long days in the summer sun. And both, if not careful, could be perfect candidates for skin cancer.
According to the American Cancer Society, over 850,000 cases of skin cancer will occur in the United States in 1996. Of those cases, an estimated 9,430 will end in death.
'Half of all new cancers diagnosed this year will be skin cancers,' said Roger Ceilley, president-elect of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).
Such statistics indicate that many Americans are not excercising caution when spending time in the sun.
CAUSES
The sun emits ultraviolet radiation in the form of invisible UVA and UVB rays, which can cause serious damage to the skin. Of the two, UVB rays are more likely to cause sunburns. Although scientists have long thought that UVB rays cause skin cancer, they now believe UVA rays also damage the skin, thus adding to the risk of cancer, a 1993 National Skin Cancer Institute publication said.
Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the most common cause of skin cancer, but it is not the only cause. The American Cancer Society also cites repeated exposure to x-rays and contact with chemicals like coal tar and arsenic as causes of skin cancer.
The National Cancer Institute added tanning booths and other artificial forms of UV radiation to the list of causes that put people at higher risk for skin cancer.
The manager of one local tanning salon disagrees.
'There has never been a case of skin cancer from moderate, safe, conditioned and controlled tanning,' said Heather Deans, manager of Electric Beach, a Provo tanning salon. 'We advocate moderate exposure every day (in tanning beds) instead of one bad burn from the sun.'
Deans said the salon takes extra precautions by making each client fill out a skin type chart before tanning on their first visit. She also said computer documentation prevents clients from tanning more than once a day and guards against human error by monitoring tanning time based on skin type.
Deans also said the salon emphasizes Heliotherapy, a theory developed by California Tan, which advocates the healthy benefits of the sun's light, such as its ability to provide Vitamin D-3 for the body, its use as an aid in treating psoriasis, and its ability to help treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.
'The salon gives the solution of controlled environment,' Deans said. 'We can't control the sun.'
PREVENTION
There are three basic types of skin cancer. Basal-cell and squamous-cell carcinomas, the most common types, rarely spread through the body or become life-threatening. Malignant melanoma, the most serious kind of skin cancer, has a tendency to spread to other parts of the body.
The American Cancer Society estimates that malignant melanoma will account for 7,300 skin cancer realted deaths in 1996. Eighty of those deaths will occur in Utah.
'One in five Americans will get skin cancer of some kind in their lifetime,' said Darrell Rigel, a New York dermatologist. 'And one in 87 Americans will get a melanoma in their lifetime.'
The good news: Skin cancer is often easy to detect. If caught in the early stages, nearly all skin cancer can be cured.
The bad news: Left undetected, all skin cancers can be lethal.
According to the AAD, people who sunburn easily are more prone to skin cancer than those who tan easily. Redheads and blondes, or individuals with blue, green or gray eyes are also at a high risk. Often, susceptibility to skin cancer is hereditary.
Although it occurs less frequently, people with dark or black skin can get skin cancer. Anyone who's had excessive exposure to the sun is at risk. Those who've experienced blistering sunburns before the age of 20 are also at a higher risk.
According to the American Cancer Society, the average person has about 25 moles. Any changes in a mole or other dark colored spot on the skin can be early indications of skin cancer.
'But it is important to note that most moles are benign,' said Lorie Johnston, a nurse practitioner at Utah Valley Regional Mediacl Center's cancer treatment center. 'The moles that have certain warning signs are the ones to worry about.'
A simple ABCD rule has been developed to help detect the warning signs of melonoma. ASYMMETRY: One half of the mole does not match the other half. BORDER IRREGULARITY: The edges of the mole are ragged, scalloped or notched. COLOR: The pigmentation is not uniform. Look for shades of tan, brown and black accented by red, white or blue. DIAMETER: Any sudden or continuing increase in size should be of special concern. A mole should be no larger than six millimeters, or roughly the size of a pencil eraser.
Common sense is the best prevention against skin cancer. Since severe sunburns in early childhood have been linked to skin cancer, it is wise to protect children with extra care. Rex Amonette, immediate-past AAD president, said not adhering to the following safety measures can increase a child's risk of skin cancer and premature aging:
The sun's rays are the most powerful between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.Children's activities should be limited during that time. Remember, there is reflective light in the shade and on cloudy days.
Babies under six months should not spend lengthy periods in the sun. If they are in the sun, they should wear protective clothing, including a hat and sunglasses to block UV rays.
Children older than six months should be covered with a sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater. The sunscreen should be applied every two or three hours, even of it is waterproof.
Children should wear dark clothing. A white T-shirt blocks little light.
Adults should also take the precaution of wearing a sunscreen of 15 SPF or greater. Wide-brim hats are also recommended to cover sensitive areas like the neck and ears which often go unprotected. Adults should follow many of the same cautions given for children, including avoiding prime sun hours.
According to a recent update from the AAD, 'most skin cancers would never develop if people would just use sensible behaviors and limit their exposure to the sun.'
That might be a difficult request, especially in a society where tanned skin is considered beautiful by younger generations. A 1994 study, conducted by the AAD, showed that 63 percent of teens surveyed believed they looked better when they had a tan. Fifty-nine percent of the teens said people in general look more healthy with a tan