Enjoy the sun, but take precautions against skin cancer 2023

Summer is coming, so start planning fishing, boating, picnics, ball games, and more.

But behind those enjoyable summer activities in the heat may lurk a health danger everyone should consider.

A Hiawatha, Kan., doctor said there are three main skin cancer forms. Amberwell Health Hiawatha’s Dr. Jessica Jarvis, M.D., said skin cancer isn’t necessarily a “dark mole.”

“Most people have heard of melanoma, which is the most serious skin cancer, but there are more common and sometimes less obvious skin cancers,” Dr. Jarvis added. “My office usually sees it as a ‘sore or spot that won’t go away.’”

Basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma are the most prevalent skin cancers. Dr. Jarvis said sun exposure increases the risk of all three and early discovery is crucial for treatment.

BCCs are the most frequent skin cancer. BCCs are bumps or flesh-colored growths with a pearly top that can scab on sun-exposed places such the head, ears, cheeks, neck, and arms. It occasionally appears as a reddish spot that is more irritable than the surrounding skin.

SCC is the second most frequent skin cancer. Sun-exposed parts including the ear rim, face, neck, arms, chest, and back also get it. SCCs often present as a hard, red lump, scaly patch, or unhealing sore. Actinic keratoses (AKs), dry, scaly, or flaky areas, can lead to SCC.

Melanoma, a black or irregular mole, is the most severe skin cancer with the greatest recurrence rate. Watch for a black area that is asymmetric, uneven, has varied colors, is growing in diameter, and changes over time. ABCDE symptoms of melanoma.

Melanoma may require lymph node removal, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a more complicated operation. Melanoma’s high spread and recurrence rates necessitate regular and careful monitoring.

Dr. Jarvis noted full excision of basal and squamous cell carcinomas is easy.

She added the recurrence rate is minimal if the BCC or SCC is entirely excised and pathology finds no skin cancer at the borders.

A Hiawatha guy who works outside in the sun has basal cell carcinoma behind his ear. He had a mole-like growth behind his ear for years as an Amberwell Health Hiawatha patient.

J.D. reported his wife saw it bleeding and crusty.

A biopsy and laboratory analysis validated Amberwell Health Hiawatha’s diagnosis of basal cell carcinoma. The patient was taken to a dermatologist since the cancer border could not be removed.

J.D. saw the dermatologist recently and will have “Mohs Surgery” next month. Dermatologists encourage this operation because it retains as much healthy tissue as possible and has a high success rate.

He will arrive at 8 a.m. for an outpatient surgery with local anesthesia. The dermatologist will remove apparent skin cancer and a thin layer around. The patient will be bandaged while the excised tissue is examined for edge cancer cells. Repeat until all cancer cells are gone. If all is eliminated, this region should not require additional treatment.

Dr. Jarvis advised wearing garments and wide-brimmed hats for sun protection. She advised using SPF 30 or higher sunscreen and reapplying every two hours on exposed areas.

“Everyone needs sun protection,” she stated.