WHILE THE SUMMER sunshine feels good on bare skin, be careful not to go unprotected outdoors for too long. At least 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. It now accounts for 1 in every 3 cancers diagnosed worldwide, and more people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than are diagnosed with all other cancers combined.
But how can that be, when we are seeing more safe-sun campaigns and public education around skin cancer? It's mainly due to better detection and one more big health improvement: "The longer you live, the higher your chances are of eventually developing a skin cancer," says Deborah S. Sarnoff, a New York City dermatologist and president of the Skin Cancer Foundation. Fortunately, when caught early, skin cancer is highly treatable.
Skin cancer is grouped into two types: malignant melanoma and nonmelanoma. The nonmelanoma type, which includes basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is the most common. The main risk factor for both types is cumulative exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light, so as we age, skin cancer can appear-typically on the areas that are most often exposed to the sun.
"That includes the face, ears, scalp and neck," says Clare Tait, a dermatologist based in Perth, Australia, the country with the world's highest rate of melanoma, according to World Cancer Research Fund International.
Fair-skinned people with blue eyes and blond hair, and those who have a family history of melanoma or already have a lot of moles, are at higher risk. But people with darker skin can develop skin cancer too.
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