skin cancer

The weather outside maybe frightful but having your skin unprotected would not be delightful. The ultraviolet rays from the sun are just as harmful now as they are on the hottest day of summer. Whether you are traveling to a tropical location to get away from the snow, or you are a cold-weather-activity enthusiast, always remember to use sunscreen. One in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime. Protecting your skin year-round could decrease your chances of developing skin cancer.

Skinsight has decided to give everyone the gift of knowledge with the Twelve Days of Dermatology this holiday season. Each day we will be covering subject matter relating to rashes, skin conditions, and other dermatology topics. If you’d like to dicuss a topic further, or if you think we’ve missed a topic, check out our forum!

Learning new things is always good, especially when it involves one’s health. Your skin is a very visible indicator of your well-being, and many have come to our site to explore our picture database of different kinds of skin conditions. Here is the list for top 10 skin topics viewed on Skinsight.com this year¹.

Q: My 88-year-old mother has been diagnosed with actinic keratoses on her face. Her physician has recommended Levulan Kerastick treatment. She does not know if she wants to go through with the treatment. What will happen if she does not have it?
 

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer annually. While we are learning a lot about the disease and how to treat it, the best course of action is preventing it. Many skin cancers develop from precancerous lesions called actinic keratoses, and dermatologists perform procedures and prescribe medications that “search and destroy” these lesions before they turn into cancer.

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer annually, so it is appropriate that we continue to identify the best treatments possible. But when it comes to actually preventing skin cancer, we mostly know only about the basic rules – use sunscreen, stay out of the sun, wear long-sleeved shirts and wide-brimmed hats, etc. 

But dermatologists can offer effective topical skin cancer preventives that find and destroy precancerous cells, stopping the disease in its tracks before it takes hold. These noninvasive therapies not only prevent potential cancers from developing, they may also soften lines and wrinkles at the same time. 

Which state has the highest per capita prevalence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer? A good guess may be Florida or the sun-drenched states of the Southwest, but it’s actually Oregon. Even in a state with months of overcast skies and drizzle, skin cancer is a pervasive and potentially deadly disease.

Melanoma is a comparatively rare but deadly form of skin cancer. Although melanoma accounts for less than 5% of skin cancer cases, it causes nearly 80% of skin cancer deaths. The American Cancer Society estimates that more than 68,700 cases will be diagnosed and that more than 8,600 people will die from the disease in 2009. In the US, the percentage of people who develop melanoma has more than doubled in the past 30 years, but the rate has remained steady since 2000.

Skin cancer is now the most prevalent form of cancer in America. The common belief is that skin cancer primarily affects older individuals who have had decades of exposure to the sun. However, we are now finding that skin cancer is skewing to a younger demographic. The reasons are not entirely clear, but we can speculate as to the causes. In my practice, I’m treating skin cancer more frequently among people as young as 25.