Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in people. It is divided into two groups: melanoma, which is a serious and often fatal form of skin cancer, and nonmelanoma, which is less worrisome but nonetheless should be avoided.

More than 1 million new cases of skin cancer occur each year in the United States. Of those cases, about 62,000 involve melanoma. In Minnesota, several thousand people are annually diagnosed with skin cancer, and about 870* of them are told they have melanoma. These huge numbers are prompting doctors and health organizations to sound an alarm. They estimate that one in five Americans will get skin cancer, and warn of an emerging epidemic of skin cancer as scores of sun-worshipping young people get older.

Know the risk factors for skin cancer and melanoma:

• Unprotected or excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun
• Fair skin that burns or freckles easily
• Episodes of severe sunburns during childhood
• Occupational exposures to chemical carcinogens, such as coal tar, pitch, and creosote; arsenic compounds, or radium. Immunosuppressive drugs such as after organ transplantation can cause a heightened reaction in the sun.
• Multiple or abnormal-looking moles
• Family history

Take these precautions:

• Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Look for shade, especially in the middle of the day when the sun’s rays are strongest.
• Follow the “Slip, Slop, Slap” rules:
  • Slip on a shirt to cover as much skin as possible. Choose comfortable, tightly woven fabrics through which light does not show.
  • Slop on sunscreen with a protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher. Apply generously, and reapply after swimming, toweling dry or perspiring. Use sun screen even on hazy, overcast days.
  • Slap on a wide-brimmed hat to shade head, face, ears and neck. If wearing a baseball cap, put sunscreen on ears and neck.
• Wear sunglasses with 99 percent to 100 percent UV absorption to protect eyes. Melanoma can affect the eyes.

Examine your skin carefully and tell your doctor about:

• Any changes in the size, color, texture, or shape of a mole or other darkly pigmented area
• Any appearance of a new, abnormal mole
• Any scaliness, oozing, or bleeding from a mole
• Changes in other bumps or nodules in the skin Parents need to check their children carefully, especially the scalp, between the toes, bottoms of feet and other areas not readily visible. Melanoma can occur in unusual locations, such as the mouth, eyes, and under a fingernail or toenail.
• Also, a person who has had a skin cancer has an increased risk of getting skin cancer again. Therefore, a person who has had one skin cancer should be examined by a dermatologist at least once a year.

Learn more about skin cancer prevention, including how to limit your ultraviolet radiation exposure and how to examine yourself for unusual moles.

*Source: Cancer Facts and Figures 2006, American Cancer Society