MONMOUTH — When Nancy Gossett, a Roseville resident, noticed something out of the corner of her eye on the back of her shoulder several years ago, the alarm bells sounded off.
"I was standing in front of a mirror and turned so I could see something vaguely. I had (my husband) Bill take a look at it. I watched it for about a month before I went to the doctor," Gossett said.
She described what she saw as being a "brownish color with a texture on top of it that wasn't typical of a mole. That alerted me."
When she went to the doctor, he diagnosed her with melanoma.
"I just was surprised," she said. "All my life I have enjoyed being in the sun a lot and around water — water is one that intensifies (rays). I would use sunblock, but I didn't constantly reapply. I have skin that browns well and does not burn, so I thought that was another protection for me, but even those skin types need blockers," Gossett said.
She said she is fortunate the melanoma had not spread to her lymph nodes, as doctors had feared. After the cancer was completely removed, Gossett went to check-ups every three months, which eventually changed to getting a yearly check-up. Aside from that, she is now more conscious of the sun than she has been before — she no longer wears the tank tops she used to and regularly wears high quality sunblock on her arms and legs.
"Avoiding sun exposure is the number one thing," said Nancy Olson, a RN at OSF Holy Family Medical Center, Monmouth.
The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. are the most harmful, she said. If staying inside or in the shade during those hours is not possible, people should wear long sleeves and hats and wear sunscreen of at least an SPF of 15. It should also provide UVA and UVB protection. Wrap-around sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection are also a must.
If swimming or sweat makes up a part of a day of summer fun, waterproof sunscreen is an option. It should be reapplied every two hours, Olson said.
"Check the expiration date," Olson added, sunblock from last year often is no longer adequate.
"Some medication may increase sun sensitivity," she said. "People should be aware and check their medication for that. (Sunburns can be) very drastic in some cases."
Some of those medications include antibiotics, some cholesterol medications, high blood pressure and diabetic medicines and anti-inflammatory medicines like Advil, Motron and Aleve.
She also said any time people get a sunburn, they increase their risk of skin cancer, but the risk is especially high for children and teens who get multiple blistering sunburns.
While there are several different kinds of skin cancer, they can all be caused by sun exposure. Melanoma is the third most common kind of skin cancer but the most dangerous. Sixty-five to 90 percent of melanoma cases are caused by exposure to ultraviolet light. The other two kinds, basal cell carcinoma, the most common, and squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common, are both highly curable. The risk for all three kinds of skin cancer can be reduced by protecting oneself against ultraviolet rays.
That includes tanning beds and sun lamps as well.
"Those things are also very dangerous," Olson said.
She recommended using sunless tanning lotions as a safe alternative for those who want the appearance of a tan.
Another way to reduce the risk of skin cancer is to monitor moles or skin lesions.
"Being an observer of your body is important," Gossett said, adding that hard-to-see places like the scalp should not be overlooked.
Warning signs to look for include moles that are larger than the size of a pencil eraser, irregular in shape, if they itch or bleed or are of dark color.
"Once a year people should have a full body check, especially if there are risk factors like being fair skinned, having had sunburns, excessive sun exposure, a family history of skin cancer and increasing age," Olson said.
"If there's any question, just have doctor look at it," Olson said.
Gossett echoed Olson's advice.
"Don't wait. If you question, let the medical profession help you."
New sunscreen labels coming
In mid-June the FDA announced new regulations for sunscreen labels.
If products offer some protection against UVA and UVB radiation, they will carry a "broad spectrum" label. If products only protect against UVB, the type of rays responsible for sunburn and skin cancer, they will carry the same "SPF" label as now.
However, the highest SPF level a product now will be able to claim is "50+."
The FDA will allow product labels to say a product prevents skin cancer, but only if they protect against UVA and have an SPF of 15 or higher.
UVA rays are less intense but are linked to skin aging and cancer.
Further, sunscreens that say they're water- and sweat-proof now will have to list how many minutes the protection lasts.
Expect to see the new labels in about a year.
Source: Gatehouse News Service
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