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If you’re like me, you remember fondly the endless summers of your youth: lying in the sand, swimming in the lake or ocean all day with the warm sun shining down. Remember that nice, bronze glow and the occasional pinkish or red bum?
Those bums of our childhood, we know now, can lead to the skin cancer of our adulthood. We know so much more now about the sun’s power than we did a decade or two ago.
Today, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States; indeed, it is the fastest growing cancer, affecting more than 1 million people each year. One person, dies every hour from melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease. The American Cancer Society estimates that in the Commonwealth of Virginia, there will be an estimated 1610 new cases of melanoma of the skin this year. And, the fact is, many of these cancers could be preverited.
Of course, we know now that we should protect our skin from the sun by using sunscreen — SPF 15 or higher — and wearing protective clothing, a hat, lip protection and sunglasses! And, we need to protect our skin in all weather — not just the sunny summertime, as many a snow skier will tell you.
Perhaps our greatest opportunity for changing skin cancer statistics rests with our children. Although most skin cancers are diagnosed when people are older than 50, the damage that causes skin cancer is done at an early age. Just one blistering sunburn can double a child’s lifetime risk of developing skin cancer. If you are a caregiver, remember to help those young people
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