Skin Cancer Facts

A lot of people I come across aren't as proactive with protecting their skin as they should be, so here are some quick skin cancer facts that everyone should know.


80% of lifetime sun exposure occurs prior to age 18. (This means most damage done to the skin happens while we are young, not over the course of several years.)

Death from skin cancer occurs at the rate of one death per hour in the United States.

Skin cancer kills more women in their late twenties and early thirties than breast cancer.
Malignant melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. It comes in the form of black or dark patches on the skin and is usually uneven in texture, jagged or raised. It is not always found on areas exposed to sunlight.
Please keep an eye on any moles or skin markings you have. Check for change of shape or color and see your doctor if any changes might occur. It is important! 1 in 5 people will get some form of skin cancer, please don't be that 1 person. Wear sunscreen and keep tanning to a minimum. I used to be a tanning booth junky, but switched to spray tanning about a year ago. I can't undo the damage that I've already done, but I can prevent any more from occuring.

I have included the ABCD's of melanoma below. This is from the cancerresarch institutes website. For more information you can go to http://www.cancerresearch.org/

The ABCDs of Melanoma

The simple ABCD approach is a useful guide to help you identify moles you should show your doctor.


A = Asymmetry: Melanoma lesions are typically irregular in shape (asymmetrical); benign (noncancerous) moles are typically round (symmetrical).

B = Border: Melanoma lesions often have irregular borders (i.e., ragged or notched edges); benign moles have smooth, even borders.

C = Colors: Melanoma lesions often contain many shades of brown or black; benign moles are usually a single shade of brown.

D = Diameter: Melanoma lesions are often more than 1/4 inch or six millimeters in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser); benign moles are usually less than 1/4 inch or six millimeters in diameter.

Early detection and treatment greatly improve the chance for surviving this disease. Patients with metastatic melanoma -- where the disease has spread to other, more distant parts of the body -- have a poorer chance of recovery. The longer you wait to have a mole examined, the greater the chance a potential melanoma may become metastatic.