Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Health Care Quarterly:

Protect yourself from skin cancer by keeping an eye on bits and bumps

Las Vegas summers boast fun times at pools where residents can relax in the sun. However, the desert locale puts us at a higher risk of sunburns, which can lead to melanoma — the most dangerous type of skin cancer.

More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year in the U.S. than all other cancers combined. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year across the country.

Skin cancer is most often caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation. It can appear as moles, raised bumps, scaly patches or open sores. There are three primary types of skin cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and melanoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma may appear as a firm red nodule or a scaly, flat lesion. It occurs in the cells just below the skin’s outer surface. These cells function as the skin’s inner lining.

Basal cell carcinoma may appear as a small, smooth, pearly or waxy bump. It may also appear as a pink, red, or brown-colored lesion. Basal cell carcinoma occurs just beneath the skin’s inner lining in the cells that work to produce new skin cells.

Melanoma most often appears as a pigmented bump or patch. It may also look like a mole with an irregular appearance, asymmetric borders and uneven color, and it may change in size. Melanoma occurs in melanocytes, cells located in the lower part of the epidermis, which produce the skin’s pigment.

The melanoma death rate among Nevada residents is higher than the national average. In 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency reported that 480 Nevada residents were diagnosed with melanoma. This form of skin cancer is responsible for roughly 75 percent of all skin cancer fatalities in the state and 68 residents die annually from the preventable disease.

If melanoma is diagnosed and treated early, it can be curable, but the best form of action is to prevent the disease in the first place. The risk of melanoma doubles for those who have had more than five sunburns. Take care to avoid exposure to harsh UV rays, wear protective clothing and properly apply sunscreen.

Apply sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher before any outdoor activity, seek shade and limit exposure to the sun between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., wear hats and protective clothing, and avoid tanning beds. Perform regular self-examinations to look for atypical moles, freckles or skin changes.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that you apply at least an ounce of sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours for optimum protection. Be sure to read the expiration date on your sunscreen and replace it every 2-3 years. Consider using a lotion sunscreen instead of a spray to better assess the coverage, thus reducing your risk of burning.

Treatment of skin cancer depends on the type and degree of the disease. The most common treatments for skin cancer are Mohs surgery and radiation therapy. Mohs surgery involves surgical removal of tumors and the layers of skin containing cancerous cells until they are cleared while leaving as much healthy tissue as possible.

Radiation therapy is a nonsurgical alternative with comparable results to surgery. The benefit of radiation therapy is that it is minimally invasive. This treatment is delivered with highly sophisticated systems that pinpoint the cancerous cells while minimizing damage to the surrounding healthy cells. The radiation targets only the skin cancer, effectively destroying it. Treatments are fast and pain-free. There is no cutting, no anesthesia and a low recovery time. In many cases, patients can get back to their normal routine shortly after they walk out the door.

Today’s high-precision targeting technology significantly reduces the risk of side effects, which typically go away over time anyway. With increased sophistication in planning and treatment techniques, radiation therapy allows for improved cosmetic and functional outcomes, especially for facial tumors.

Depending on the type of skin cancer, its size, and its location, radiation may be used alone or in combination with surgery. If the cancer site is relatively large, in a surgically difficult location, or if the patient is not a good candidate for surgery, radiation is often the primary treatment.

The summer sun is wonderful, but it is important to remember to protect yourself from harmful radiation and the possible risk of skin cancer associated with it.

Dr. Susan Reisinger is a board-certified radiation oncologist with 21st Century Oncology.