Every Sunday, Cancer Services publishes a Cancer Q&A in the Health Section of The Baton Rouge Advocate.
Q: I love being out in the sun but am afraid of
getting skin cancer. What are some
things I can do that will still allow me to enjoy the summer months?
A: Sun safety is important year around,
especially in the southern United
States.
To safeguard your skin properly you should take proper precautions
daily, regardless of whether or not you plan on being outside. You are exposed to dangerous UV rays even
when you are driving a car.
According to
the National Cancer Institute, non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common type
of cancer. Basal and squamous cell
carcinomas are two of the many non-melanoma skin cancers. Regardless of age, skin type, sex, or race,
anyone can get skin cancer; however, some people have an increased risk of
developing skin cancer. The American
Cancer Society has projected more than one million new cases of non-melanoma
skin cancer for 2007 in the United States,
which is approximately half of all diagnosed cancers combined in the U.S.
The National Cancer Institute suggests
the following sun safety tips:
- It is best to avoid the midday sun (from mid-morning to late afternoon) whenever possible. You also should protect yourself from UV radiation reflected by sand, water, snow, and ice. UV radiation can penetrate light clothing, windshields, and windows.
- Wear protective clothing.
- Use sunscreen. Sunscreen may help prevent skin cancer, especially sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. However, sunscreens cannot provide the same protection as avoiding the sun and wearing clothing to protect the skin.
- Stay away from sunlamps and tanning beds.
There are other ways to protect yourself from
acquiring one of the most common cancers.
- Women can wear tinted moisturizers with a minimum SPF of 15. FDA regulations require SPF measures in moisturizer to be the same as the measures found in sunscreen.
- Do NOT sunbathe or use tanning beds; instead, if you feel it’s absolutely necessary, use a sunless tanning product that has DHA, dihydroxyacetone, or other color additives for the skin that have been tested by the industry and approved by the FDA. Also make sure to read about these products. For example, DHA is intended to be used in the self-application of creams and lotions. It is only approved for the application to external body parts and is not to be used on the eyes, lips, and any body surface covered with a mucus membrane. Sunless tanning does not necessarily provide SPF protection; if your label does not include SPF then make sure to apply sunscreen or lotion with a minimum of SPF 15 when you are exposed to the sun’s UV rays.
- Make sure your sunglasses block both UVB and UVA rays.
- Use aftershave with a minimum SPF 15.
- Wear a hat with a brim that covers more than your face but neck and ears as well.
- Use lip balm with a minimum SPF 15.
- Have moles checked out by your doctors.
Visit these websites for further
information on sun safety tips:
- Skin Cancer Foundation
- National Cancer Institute
- American Cancer Society
- U.S. Food & Drug Administration
For
additional information contact Courtney, the librarian at Cancer Services of Greater
Baton Rouge at (225) 927-2273, cbritton@cancerservices.org
, or visit the Resource
Center at 550 Lobdell Avenue.
