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Preventing Skin Cancer

Prevention tips from the American Academy of Family Physicians

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 06, 2002

Contact:
Adam Lee
American Academy of Family Physicians
(800) 274-2237 Ext. 5221
alee@aafp.org

LEAWOOD, Kan. — Melanoma is a kind of skin cancer that can spread through the entire body. If found early, it can be cured. If found late, it could be fatal.

Melanoma can look like a mole, bump or growth on the skin. It can appear anywhere on the body. In men, melanoma is found most often on the chest, stomach or back, and in women it is found most often on the legs.

Melanoma can be prevented by:

avoiding the sun, especially from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., when the sun’s rays are the strongest;
using sunscreen that has a sun protection factor (spf) of 15 or higher;
avoiding tanning booths or sunlamps — they damage the skin just like real sunlight does;
wearing protective clothing such as long-sleeved shirts and long pants made of tightly woven fabric and hats; and
checking the skin every month for signs of skin cancer. Individuals should speak with their family physician if they see an area on their skin that looks unusual.

Clouds and water won’t provide protection from the sun. Sixty to 80 percent of the sun’s rays can get through clouds and reach swimmers at least one foot below the surface. The sun’s rays can reflect off water, snow and white sand.

Sunburns and suntans are signs that the skin has been damaged. This damage increases the risk of getting skin cancer. Sunburns in childhood are the most damaging. Children younger than 6 months of age should never be outside in direct sunshine and children 6 months or older should wear sunscreen every day. If the skin is protected from the sun, the risk is lowered.

Skin cancer is a threat, but it’s a threat everyone can do something about. Speak with a family physician to learn more about prevention and detection of skin cancer.

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Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents more than 93,000 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the only medical society devoted solely to primary care.

Nearly one in four of all office visits are made to family physicians. That is 215 million office visits each year – nearly 48 million more than the next medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide the majority of care for America’s underserved and rural populations.

In the increasingly fragmented world of health care where many medical specialties limit their practice to a particular organ, disease, age or sex, family physicians are dedicated to treating the whole person across the full spectrum of ages. Family medicine’s cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care.

To learn more about the American Academy of Family Physicians and about the specialty of family medicine, please visit www.aafp.org.

For more information about the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care and downloadable multi-media on family medicine and health care, visit the AAFP Media Center.

For more information about health care, health conditions, and wellness, please visit familydoctor.org.