Summer and Skin Cancer: Prevention and Early Detection Are Key | DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

Posted by Jacqueline Colclough, Esquire

As the official beginning of summer approaches with Memorial Day Weekend, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey and other health organizations are undertaking efforts to education the public about skin cancer risks and prevention.

According to the American Cancer Society, over one million people across the United States are currently affected by skin cancer. This year alone, more than 68,700 new cases of melanoma, the most serious of skin cancers, are expected nationally. Precautions such as avoiding sun exposure during midday hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.), using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher, and avoiding tanning beds and sun lamps are all important measures in the prevention of skin cancer.

Early detection of melanoma can be found by following a simple ABCD assessment:

• Asymmetry (one half of the mole does not match the other half)
• Border irregularity (the edges of a mole are ragged, notched, or blurred)
• Color (the pigmentation of a mole is not uniform, with variable colors of tan, brown, or black)
• Diameter of a mole is greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser)

Please visit American Cancer Society and The Skin Cancer Foundation for important information about skin cancer for the health and welfare of you and your family.

For more information about your legal rights, please visit us at Regan Zambri & Long, PLLC. Also, read our previously posted article about melanomas on scalp and neck.