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Protect yourself from skin cancer

Ah, summertime. For most of us, the sunshine and warmer temperatures bring welcome relief following the midwestern winter, especially if those temperatures remain at a moderate level. I’m not particularly fond of 90-plus degree days with 90-plus percentage humidity, especially when outdoor chores include a lot of physical activity with no shade and no breeze. Not only are those conditions uncomfortable, they can be quite dangerous. Heat stroke, dehydration, and sunburn are often associated with the “dog days” of summer. But folks, exposure to the sun, whether the temperature is 95 degrees or 75 degrees can still cause sunburn and set the stage for more serious health problems.

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer. It is a tumor, an uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells, on the skin. The skin appears to change in texture or color and a sore or nodule may develop on your skin. These skin changes usually can be seen with the naked eye, and 90% can be cured if treated early.

Last Saturday was a beautiful day. The temperature was 74 degrees and there was a gentle breeze dancing through the valley where our house sits. It was a perfect day to pick green beans! At 11 am, donning a backless top, I set out to harvest the Improved Tendergreens. I know better than to stay out in the sun, exposing parts of my skin that have not seen the light of day for months, without sunscreen. I know better. But the breeze was gentle, the temperature perfect for being outdoors, and before I knew it, I had been in that garden for an hour and a half.

Four hours later, my husband was applying a second coat of Noxema to my back, all the while telling me “I told you so.”

My mother is a fair-skinned red-head and has had several pre-cancerous “spots” removed from her face. My grandfather had skin cancer on his face and ears. My husband’s grandfather had skin cancer on his face and ears. I cannot count the number of times I have visited with farmers whose wrists and hands appear knarled with the scars from surgery to remove skin cancer. I KNOW BETTER.

The American Cancer Society tells us that high-risk professions for skin cancer include farmers, vehicle drivers (their sun-exposed arm), and other sun-exposed outdoor workers.
There are three common types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma.

Basal cell carcinoma accounts for over 75% of all skin cancers. It usually occurs in middle-aged and elderly persons, especially those who are fair-skinned. It is more common in occupations with prolonged sun exposure, like farmers. Basal cell carcinoma develops slowly and causes a lump or a small, painless, smooth-edged ulcer. It most often occurs on the face, head, and neck.

Squamous cell carcinoma also results from excessive sun exposure. It may occur anywhere on the body as a small, usually painless (but sometimes bleeding), enlarging skin ulcer or irregularity. It is common around the mouth and on the lip.

Basal cell carcinoma has a very small likelihood of spread to other areas of the body. Squamous cell carcinoma spreads about 20% of the time. Both basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma have excellent cure rates when treated promptly.

A melanoma usually develops from an existing mole. Melanoma is not as common as the other two types of skin cancer, but it is more serious and its treatment is different.

As a teen-ager and in my early twenties, I wasn’t exactly a sun-worshipper, but if I was going to be mowing or raking hay or any other outdoor chore that would allow me the opportunity to improve my suntan, chances are, I was going to be wearing a bathing suit top, and slathered in a low-SPF suntan oil. I was never much for just lying in the sun, but the thought of protecting myself from the ultraviolet light that gave me such a “healthy glow” never crossed my mind.

Every May, I would endure the painful sunburns that came with too much exposure to the sun. I even tried tanning beds in an effort to “get ready” for summer sun.

The American Cancer Society tells us that many skin cancers occur on the face, but they can appear anywhere on the skin. You should look for sores or changes in the skin that do not heal, a craterlike lesion (ulcer) on the skin that may not hurt, change in color on part of the skin, bleeding, itching, or pain.

Avoid being exposed to too much sunlight. I used to wonder how men and women could tolerate those long sleeves and big straw hats, but now I know they were the smart ones. Both my mother and my mother-in-law wear those big hats and light-weight long-sleeves when they are working outdoors. Even on the cloudy days, Grandma Doris would be “covered up” when she was cultivating in a field in the Illinois River bottoms. At 80-some years of age, she has the most beautiful, cancer-free, and amazingly unwrinkled skin. She knew better. . .