July 18, 2024

Sun Cancer: Mitigating the Risks of Sun Exposure

Preventative Health
Sun Cancer Mitigating The Risks Of Sun Exposure

The sun can have health benefits, such as stimulating vitamin D production and easing seasonal depression. Yet, there are also dangers to sun exposure. Namely, skin cancer.

Bob Glinert, MD, Dermatologist at Fort HealthCare, shares important information about sun exposure risks and how individuals can protect themselves.

Sun Protection Strategies

The best first line of defense is to avoid being outside when the sun is at its peak and its wavelengths are the most intense. Typically, experts advise limiting exposure between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Being in higher altitudes or in proximity to reflective light (e.g. water, snow) can also raise one’s risk of too much exposure.

Per Dr. Glinert, the second line of defense is applying sunscreen and wearing protective clothing—hat, sunglasses, gloves. He explains the two types of sunblock categories: physical blockers and chemical blockers.

“The nice thing about the physical blockers is that there are no concerns about the chemicals in them at all, and it’s almost unheard of to see allergic reactions to the physical blockers. The disadvantage is they are a little thicker and pastier on your skin. If you’re in water or anything like that, it has to be reapplied quite regularly, but that’s actually true for chemical blockers as well. The chemical blockers work by absorbing ultraviolet radiation.”

Signs of Skin Cancer

The biggest concern surrounding sun exposure is cancer development. The most dangerous type of skin cancer is melanoma, which typically appears as a new mole that looks different from any other pre-existing moles. “Any spot that won’t heal, that bleeds easily, that is irregular, those all warrant careful exam,” states Dr. Glinert.

The other types of skin cancer are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. They are not as worrisome as melanoma but still require a dermatologist’s care.

If there’s a reasonable chance a spot is cancer, particularly if there’s even a small chance it could be a melanoma, the next step is to perform a biopsy. This procedure can be done right in the dermatologist’s office. Of course, there are other cases where biopsy is delayed.

“We try to be good stewards of the healthcare dollar, so we don’t biopsy everything,” notes Dr. Glinert. “Sometimes we’ll say that if a spot is still there in six to twelve weeks, then we’ll biopsy it, but some of these just go away on their own. We can save some health care expenditures by watchful waiting. We have a saying in dermatology that a picture’s worth a thousand dermatologists, so we take a lot of photos. That can be very helpful in deciding if something’s new or changed.”

Common Areas for Skin Cancer Development

Among basal and squamous cell carcinomas, common areas of the skin include the top of the head (especially if someone is balding), top of the ears, arms, and legs. Melanomas are found primarily on the back in men and on the back of the legs in women.

“The prevailing thought is that intermittent, intense sun may precipitate those melanomas to arise, the so called weekend warrior effect. But, you can easily get melanoma where there wasn’t any sun. Sometimes, we’ll identify a spot and the patient will say, ‘Oh, don’t worry, that area has never gotten any sun.’ The truth is, you can definitely get melanoma without the sun. There’s more to it than just sunlight with that type of skin cancer.”

It’s helpful to have someone who can help periodically check areas that are difficult to see. Yet, it’s also important to schedule yearly visits with a dermatologist to ensure nothing has developed in that time period. As with many cancers, the earlier the detection and treatment, the better.