Melanoma – Protect Yourself

In a world where looking good is often valued over feeling good, a mole could be a beauty mark. It could also be a hindrance that you cover with concealer every morning. But far worse, a mole could be cancerous. Melanoma, coined “the deadliest form of skin cancer,” first appears as just a mole, but can quickly spread throughout your body and become life threatening in as little as 6 weeks. Luckily, skin cancer is preventable and treatable.

How does melanoma develop?

UV rays from the sun hit our skin every single day. Both UVA and UVB rays penetrate your skin and can cause damage such as a sunburn. Worse though, UV rays can damage your DNA. DNA is what tells your cells how to function, but when your DNA gets damaged, it can cause cells to go out of control, ultimately leading to skin cancer. 

Protect yourself!

Skin cancer is the only form of cancer that is completely preventable. Limit your contact with UV rays, and keep yourself healthy! Other than not going outside during the hottest times of day, you can put on sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 45 — make sure to reapply every two hours — or wear long pants, long sleeved swim shirts, sunglasses, sun hats, etc! While we don’t have to avoid the sun completely, we should try our best to avoid tanning beds!

Early signs of melanoma

When looking for signs of melanoma, there are five different aspects to watch out for on the moles of your body. It’s easy to remember them simply by recalling ABCDE: asymmetry, border, color, diameter, evolving. 

A – When examining a mole, first look for signs of asymmetry. Common moles are usually circular in appearance. 

B – Next, look at the border of the mole- is it irregular or not well defined? 

C – After, take a look at the color of the mole. Most benign moles are one color, while cancerous moles may take on a few different colors. 

D – Now, examine the diameter of the mole. Melanoma growths are typically very big, over six centimeters in diameter.

E – Lastly, keep track of any evolution in the mole. Cancer may grow in an already present mole! So look out for changing characteristics.

If you have any of these signs of melanoma, reach out to your health care provider immediately! Melanoma is completely preventable, and is treatable if the signs are found early enough. Regularly check yourself for symptoms of skin cancer, and have a great rest of your summer!

References:

1. 1. Cancer of the Skin – Melanoma. (2017). Corewell Health. https://www.beaumont.org/conditions/melanoma
   2. How does the sun and UV cause cancer? (2023, November 30). Cancer Research UK. https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer 
   3. Melanoma. (2024, February 21). Better Health Channel. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/melanoma
   4. Skin Cancer. (2024, June 4). American Academy of Dermatology Association. https://www.aad.org/media/stats-skin-cancer