BY ROBERT THOMPSON
Just in time for the warmer weather and extra sunshine, the American Cancer Society has given Americans a reminder to be aware of the risks that come from being out in the sun.
According to its Web site, www.cancer.org, the American Cancer Society has named May Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month.
The American Cancer Society hopes that by putting emphasis on skin cancer education, Americans will be able to reduce their risks and learn how to detect cancer in its early stages when it is most easily treated.
Although sunburns are the most obvious and immediate effect of being out in the sun too long, skin cancer is perhaps the most serious consequence.
The ACS reported that skin cancer, often caused by prolonged ultra-violet exposure, is the most common cancer in the United States, making up nearly half of all cancer cases. However, skin cancer is also one of the most easily treated cancers if detected early.
Christiana Cole, a sophomore from Salt Lake City and a dermatologist, said that many university-age people do not realize they are even at risk for skin cancer.
“Sunburn has more immediate effects because it shows up,” Cole said. “But getting sunburns now leads to a chance of skin cancer later.”
The ACS suggests that people perform self-checks for skin cancer monthly by watching for spots or bumps that get larger or sores that don’t heal within a few weeks. Other signs to watch for are moles that change in size, color and shape or have irregular borders.
The ACS also recommends that people between the ages of 20 and 40 have a cancer-related checkup once every three years.
Along with the tri-yearly skin cancer checkup, the ACS suggests that Americans practice and remember the ACS’s skin cancer prevention slogan “slip, slop and slap” — slip on a shirt, slop on some sun screen and slap on a hat.
Another method of preventing ultra-violet exposure is the ACB method, which includes avoiding sun exposure during the peak sunlight hours between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., covering up with clothing and hats and blocking sun rays with a sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher.
