Beach Days Could Spell Trouble For Your Skin: Signs To Look For Developing Skin Cancer

Memorial Day Weekend and the start of summer beach season fast approach, The Cancer Institute of New Jersey (CINJ) is making experts available to discuss the risks of developing skin cancer and what steps can be taken to prevent it. CINJ is a Center of Excellence of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.

Credit:  The Cancer Institute of New Jersey

According to the American Cancer Society, more than two million new cases of skin cancer are discovered across the United States each year. This year more than 76,000 new cases of melanoma, the most serious -- and often deadly -- form of skin cancer, are expected nationally, with 2,300 in New Jersey. 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 all contribute to 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)

 Contacts and sources:
The Cancer Institute of New Jersey