Skin cancer: Why it’s Important to Catch this Common Disease Early

This week, we've used the blog to talk about Vitamin D and Protecting Your Skin . Today we tackle skin cancer.

It's beautiful and sunny today in Baltimore, but remember to put on your sunscreen before heading outdoors. About one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, and one in 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in his or her lifetime. Some of the risk factors for skin cancer include having a fair complexion (especially with red or blond hair), a blistering sunburn as a child or teenager, exposure to radiation – including light from tanning beds, and certain medical conditions that weaken the immune system.

In a Lunch and Learn session at the Alvin & Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute last week, Sean T. Gunning, M.D., talked about the three forms of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. Basal cell, which is the most common skin cancer, typically affects the head and neck and is primarily caused by sunburn. It can look like a spot that is shiny, with a rolled border that may turn into an ulcer or a red scaly spot. If you have a sore or pimple that doesn’t heal after 4 to 6 weeks, you should see your doctor as it could be basal cell skin cancer.

Squamous cell skin cancer forms after chronic sun exposure. Patients who have received a kidney transplant are especially at risk. This type of skin cancer can metastasize and spread to other parts of the body, making it very dangerous.

Finally, malignant melanoma is the least common form of skin cancer, making up only about 5 percent of cases. However, it is the most deadly. People with light complexions, with one or more blistering sunburns before age 18 and a large number of moles are particularly susceptible. Moles should be checked against the ABCDs:

• Asymmetrical – Is the mole an odd shape with sides that don’t match the other?
• Border – Does the mole lack a defined border?
• Color – Is the color the same throughout the mole, or are there patches of brown, black, white, red or blue?
• Diameter – Is the mole larger than ¼” in diameter (about the size of a pencil eraser)?
  

If the answer to one or more of these questions is “yes,” go see your doctor.

If skin cancer metastasizes (spreads to other organs), it can be life-threatening. Therefore, early detection is important. Skin cancer screenings will be held at Northwest Hospital on June 14 and on June 28 at Sinai Hospital. To sign up for one of these free screenings, call 410-601-9355.

-Holly Hosler

Vitamin D: Should you soak up the sun to get this vital nutrient?

Yesterday we discussed UVA sun rays and the aging effects they cause. Though UVA can also be responsible for skin cancer, UVB is the part of sunlight primarily responsible. (Think UVA, “A” for “aging”; UVB, “B” for “bad.”)

However, UVB light, which is the more dangerous of the two, is also the part of sunlight that causes the body to produce vitamin D – a necessary nutrient. Recent medical news has stressed that up to half of the U.S. population could be vitamin D deficient, and the FDA is considering increasing its daily recommendation of 400 International Units (IUs) of vitamin D to 800 IUs. Healthy levels of vitamin D have been linked to a decreased risk for osteoporosis, high blood pressure, cancer and certain autoimmune diseases.

While vitamin D occurs in foods such as fish and fortified dairy products, your body produces vitamin D naturally when you skin is exposed to sunlight. In fact, just 20 minutes of full body exposure will produce 10,000 International Units of vitamin D. (After about 20 minutes, your body creates a chemical response so you can’t produce too much vitamin D.) If you wear sunscreen (recommended to reduce your risk for skin cancer), the UVB rays will be blocked and your body will NOT produce vitamin D. So should you forego sunscreen so that you can get your vitamin D?

In a May 19th lunch and learn at the Alvin and Lois Lapidus Cancer Institute, Sean T. Gunning, M.D., said that he believes that the jury is still out on the health benefits of vitamin D. While there is a correlation of people who have higher levels of vitamin D in their systems and a lower risk for certain diseases, it doesn’t mean that their health is due to the vitamin D.

Healthy people tend to exercise outside, make better dietary choices and take vitamin supplements – all of which can lead to higher levels of vitamin D. Therefore these people may test higher for vitamin D simply because of their choices that make them healthy also give them more vitamin D; their health is a byproduct of their lifestyle, not necessarily because of their high levels of vitamin D.

As for getting the recommended daily amount of vitamin D, so far there’s no evidence that the vitamin D produced from being out in the sun is superior to the vitamin D we can get from vitamin supplements. The 400 (and even 800) IUs recommended by the FDA is an amount that can be easily obtained through a multi-vitamin, making it unnecessary to expose your skin to the sun.
-Holly Hosler