Save the Skin You’re In: Preventing & Treating Skin Cancer

Our skin is our largest body organ, but it’s not usually one we worry about. Maybe we should, though, because it’s vital to our health and well-being. Your skin protects internal organs, keeps germs out and vital fluids in, regulates body temperature and helps the body get rid of excess water and salts. Certain cells in the skin also communicate with the brain, allowing you to sense temperature, touch and pain.

One of this organ’s greatest health threats is skin cancer, which accounts for nearly half of all cancers in the United States, according to the American Cancer Society. Over two million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year.

Of the three major types, basal and squamous cell carcinomas are the most treatable. Melanoma, the most serious of the common skin cancers, poses the biggest threat. These types of skin cancer are almost always curable when detected early. Basal and squamous cell types usually have successful outcomes. Even melanoma, when diagnosed and treated at an early stage, is survivable over 90 percent of the time.

• Basal cell carcinoma usually occurs in sun-exposed areas of your body. It may appear as a pearly or waxy bump, or a flat, flesh-colored or brown scar-like lesion. Basal cell skin cancers are common after age 40, especially in fair-skinned people.
• Squamous cell carcinoma can occur in UV light-sensitive areas, such as the lips, ears and hands. Lesions can appear as a firm, red nodule or a flat lesion with a scaly crusted surface.
• Melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, in otherwise normal skin or in an existing mole that becomes cancerous. On men, it often appears on the torso, head or neck. In women, it’s often found on the lower legs. In people with darker skin tones, melanoma tends to occur on the palms or soles or under the fingernails or toenails.

Are You at Risk? Generally, risk factors for all types of skin cancer include:

• Unprotected and/or excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation
• Fair complexion
• A parent or sibling with a history of skin cancer
• Severe sunburns as a child
• Sunny or high-altitude climates - there is more ultraviolet (UV) radiation where sunlight is stronger
• Moles – individuals with many moles or abnormal moles have an increased risk of skin cancer
• Precancerous skin lesions or patches that range in color from brown to dark pink
• A personal history of skin cancer
• A weakened immune system, including organ transplant patients and those with HIV, AIDS or leukemia
• Increasing age
• Occupational exposures to coal tar, pitch, creosote, arsenic compounds or radium

Even if you don’t have any of the risks listed above, it is important to note that skin cancer affects people of all skin tones, all ages and in all geographical locations. So it is important to make skin care a part of your annual medical check-up routine.

Reducing Your Risk

Reducing the risk means protecting your skin by:

• Limiting or avoiding exposure to UV radiation from both the sun and tanning beds can help reduce your risk of developing skin cancer.
• Checking your skin regularly—every month or so—for suspicious changes. Examine areas of your skin that are regularly exposed to the sun: scalp, face, lips, ears, neck, chest, arms, hands and legs (especially women). Skin cancer can also form on areas that are not normally exposed to sunlight, such as your palms, under the fingernails, between your toes and under your toenails.
• Using sunscreen to prevent or reduce the risk of some forms of skin cancer. For people who are especially at risk, wearing special sun-blocking clothing along with sun block/sunscreen (minimum SPF 15 to 30) also helps. Some skin experts suggest wearing sunscreen year-round. It’s especially important between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., even on hazy or cloudy days.
• Wearing a wide-brimmed hat can shade your face, ears and neck. If you wear a baseball cap, remember to protect your ears and neck with sunscreen.
• Wearing sunglasses with 99-100 percent UV absorption to protect your eyes and the delicate skin around them.

Checking for Skin Cancer

Signs of melanoma include the following:

• Any lesion or mole that changes in color, size, shape or feel, or one that bleeds
• Variable-colored spot—dark with darker speckles
• A small lesion with an irregular border and portions that appear red, white, blue or blue-black
• Dark lesions on the palms, soles, fingertips or toes, or on mucous membranes lining the mouth or nose
• A recurring lesion in a place where a cancerous lesion has been removed

Treatment

Because of the ability of melanoma to spread throughout the body, it is very important to detect and treat this type of cancer early. Early detection usually means a less-invasive treatment and a better chance of recovery. Therefore, it is important that you discuss any of your concerns with your physician.

Treatment for skin cancer and precancerous skin lesions varies, depending on the size, type, depth and location of the lesions. Often, the doctor can remove localized lesions in the office. If skin cancer is in an area that is large, difficult to treat or recurring, surgery or other treatment may be necessary.

Tips for healthy skin

Your skin is a part of your overall health. Here are some things you can control to protect your skin:

• Avoid tanning beds. The UV radiation is as damaging as a day in the sun. Don’t burn or bake your skin!
• Don’t smoke. Smoking depletes oxygen and vitamin C, narrows the blood vessels in your skin, decreases blood flow and damages collagen and elastin.
• Eat well. Nutrients from fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins promote overall health and make your skin glow. Eating carrots, apricots, blueberries, spinach and green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, beans, fish and nuts strengthens your immune system, which reduces your susceptibility to all kinds of cancer.

Don’t forget that your Service Benefit Plan coverage includes free annual physicals when you use a Preferred provider under both Standard and Basic Option.

Need medical advice? You can call Blue Health Connection at 1.888.258.3432 for immediate assistance. Our registered nurses provide reliable health care advice, day or night, every day of the year. As always, in a life-threatening situation, call 911 immediately. Blue Health Connection also provides information about health concerns and the opportunity to talk with a nurse online .

Treat your body with care, and it will serve you well for years. Not only will you be healthier when you take good care of your skin, you’ll look better, too!

June 2011. Paula Spurway, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association. Resources: 2011 Blue Cross and Blue Shield Service Benefit Plan; and The American Cancer Society web site, www.cancer.org.

Page last updated: December 29, 2011