Tag Archive for: Skin Cancer

Learning the ABCDE rule for skin cancer

Article by: sunprotectionandproductsguide.com

Finding melanoma early is the key to curing this terrible disease. That is why learning the ABCDE rule for skin cancer is so important. This system provides and easy way to recognize moles and growths that might be cancerous.

Although most of your “suspicious” moles will turn out to be normal non-cancerous moles, it is much better to be safe than sorry. To not see, or simply ignore an early melanoma can be devastating. Because melanoma can disguise itself as a strange looking mole, be sure to review the ABCDE rule for skin cancer to properly identify abnormal growths.

If your mole or growth has one or more of the ABCDE’s, you should show it to your doctor as soon as possible!

Pictures of the ABCDE rule for skin cancer

A – Asymmetry: Normal moles or freckles are completely symmetrical. If you were to draw a line through a normal spot, you would have two symmetrical halves. In cases of skin cancer, spots don’t look the same on both sides.

B – Border: A mole or spot with blurry and/or jagged edges.

C – Color: A mole that is more than one hue is suspicious and needs to be evaluated by a doctor. Normal spots are usually one color. This can include lightening or darkening of the mole. Melanoma cells usually continue to produce melanin, which accounts for the cancers appearing in mixed shades of tan, brown and black.

D – Diameter: If it is larger than a pencil eraser (about 1/4 inch or 6mm), it needs to be examined by a doctor. This is includes areas that do not have any other abnormalities (color, border, asymmetry). But, don’t be fooled by size alone – it can be smaller.

E – Elevation/Evolving: Elevation means the mole is raised above the surface and has an uneven surface. Looks different from the rest or changing in size, shape, color.

In addition, there are other features of melanoma such as surface changes (bleeding, oozing, flaking) or signs of itchiness, pain, or tenderness. After examining the mole, if your doctor thinks the mole is a melanoma, then a biopsy will be performed for further analysis.

Basically, any mole or growth that is CHANGING needs to be checked by a physician.

To read the complete article, click here.

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Signs and Symptoms of Skin Cancer

molesWritten by cancer.org

Summertime means most of us will be spending more time outdoors. Sunscreen is only one defense against skin cancer.  More importantly is to keep an eye on your skin and to pay attention to all changes, no matter how small.

Unusual moles, sores, lumps, blemishes, markings, or changes in the way an area of the skin looks or feels may be a sign of melanoma or another type of skin cancer, or a warning that it might occur.

Normal moles

A normal mole is usually an evenly colored brown, tan, or black spot on the skin. It can be either flat or raised. It can be round or oval. Moles are generally less than 6 millimeters (about ¼ inch) across (about the width of a pencil eraser). Some moles can be present at birth, but most appear during childhood or young adulthood. New moles that appear later in life should be checked by a doctor.

Once a mole has developed, it will usually stay the same size, shape, and color for many years. Some moles may eventually fade away.

Most people have moles, and almost all moles are harmless. But it is important to recognize changes in a mole – such as in its size, shape, or color – that can suggest a melanoma may be developing.

Possible signs and symptoms of melanoma

The most important warning sign for melanoma is a new spot on the skin or a spot that is changing in size, shape, or color. Another important sign is a spot that looks different from all of the other spots on your skin (known as the ugly duckling sign). If you have any of these warning signs, have your skin checked by a doctor.

The ABCDE rule is another guide to the usual signs of melanoma. Be on the lookout and tell your doctor about spots that have any of the following features:

  • A is for Asymmetry: One half of a mole or birthmark does not match the other.
  • B is for Border: The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred.
  • C is for Color: The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, or sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue.
  • D is for Diameter: The spot is larger than 6 millimeters across (about ¼ inch – the size of a pencil eraser), although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
  • E is for Evolving: The mole is changing in size, shape, or color.

Some melanomas do not fit the rules described above. It is important to tell your doctor about any changes or new spots on the skin, or growths that look different from the rest of your moles.

Other warning signs are:

  • A sore that does not heal
  • Spread of pigment from the border of a spot into surrounding skin
  • Redness or a new swelling beyond the border
  • Change in sensation – itchiness, tenderness, or pain
  • Change in the surface of a mole – scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or the appearance of a bump or nodule

Be sure to show your doctor any areas that concern you and ask your doctor to look at areas that may be hard for you to see. It is sometimes hard to tell the difference between melanoma and an ordinary mole, even for doctors, so it’s important to show your doctor any mole that you are unsure of.

To see examples of normal moles and melanomas, visit the Skin Cancer Image Gallery.

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You’ve Gotten A Sunburn – Now What?

sunburn_300x174_479516899You’ve tried to be sun safe….. but on your last outing you got a sunburn. Now what?  To help heal and soothe your damaged, red, sunburned skin, the sooner you start treating the sunburn  the better.

Try these home remedies to help with the discomfort from a sunburn.

Try a soothing bath or compresses dipped in any of the following substances to get relief from your sunburn.

  • Either place a cold damp towel on your skin for 10 or 15 minutes throughout the day as needed; or use an ice pack to provide relief (if the burn is mild), just remember to wrap the ice pack in a damp cloth before you place it on your skin.
  • Mix 1 cup of white or apple cider vinegar into a tub of cool water, or soak a cloth in a basin of vinegar and water. Vinegar is great astringent,and it soothes sunburn pain.
  • Wrap dry oatmeal in cheesecloth, and run cold water through it. You can soak compresses in the liquid or leave the oatmeal ouch in the tub while you soak.
  • Add enough water to cornstarch to make a thin paste, and apply directly to the sunburn.
  • Generously sprinkle baking soda into a cool bath, and let the solution dry on your skin ( do not towel dry) the baking soda residue will help soothe the pain.
  •  If your eyelids are burned, apply tea bags soaked in cool water to decrease swelling and help relieve pain.
  • Moisten a cloth with witch hazel. Witch Hazel is a natural astringent and has been long-lasting anti-inflammatory relief. Apply often for temporary relief.
  • Refrigerate the leaves of an aloe Vera plant; peel them open and directly place the gel or juicy part onto the burn.  Because aloe Vera is a natural astringent, if your burn is quite bad, this topical treatment might sting, so mix the aloe Vera juice with a little Vitamin E. You can also buy aloe Vera gel from most health stores.

A sign of severe sun damage is blistering. If blisters develop, you have a a second-degree sunburn. To treat a blister, simply leave it alone. You’ll have less discomfort and danger of infection if air does not come in contact with the sensitive nerve endings. If you are worried about infection you can use an antibacterial ointment, or  an over-the-counter anesthetic that can relieve pain and itching, such as Bactine.

Although it may seem like a temporary condition, sunburns can cause long-lasting damage to the skin. This damage increases a person’s risk for getting skin cancer, making it critical to protect the skin from the sun all year round.

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What’s in Your Sunscreen?

sunscreenMost of us use sunscreen, but other than looking at price and the SPF levels, we know relatively little about what we are putting on our bodies. We use sunscreen to avoid a sunburn and to limit our exposure to the sun’s harmful rays.

Here’s what you should know about UVA and UVB Rays:

UVA rays:
• Can pass through glass, such as a car window
• Are always present despite changes in altitude or weather, season and time of day
• Can penetrate deep into skin layers
• Totals 5% of the sun’s rays

UVB rays:
• Can’t pass through glass
• Can cause the skin to burn/tan
• Intensity of rays change with the weather conditions, altitude, season and time of day
• Totals 0.5% of the sun’s rays

Theoretically when applying sunscreen, the higher the sun protection factor – SPF – the more time you can spend out in the sun before suffering a sunburn.  This is not true: at least for high-SPF sunscreens of SPF 50 and over. Many studies have found that people are misled by the claims on high SPF sunscreen bottles.

Most of us assume that we’ll get twice as much protection from SPF 100 sunscreen as from SPF 50. In reality, the extra protection is negligible and gives a false sense of security, which leads to  longer stays stay in the sun, and overexposing ourselves to UVA and UVB rays.

Numerous studies show that sunscreen users apply the wrong amount of sunscreen.  The average person uses about one-half the quantity of sunscreen that the manufacturers recommends. Applying too little sunscreen or reapplying it too infrequently diminishes protection against free radical formation which can lead to skin cancer.

How much sunscreen should you be using? You should use approximately two milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter of skin. This means applying two tablespoons of sunscreen to the exposed areas of the face and body, and remembering that sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours.

High SPF products require higher concentrations of active chemicals than lower SPF sunscreens, and some of these ingredients may pose health risks when they penetrate the skin. Sunscreen formulas come in two forms, mineral and chemical.

Mineral sunscreens use zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.

Chemical sunscreen products typically include a combination of two to six active ingredients such as: oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate and octinoxate.

The table below outlines human exposure and toxicity information for nine approved sunscreen chemicals.

ChemicalEWG Hazard ScoreUse in U.S. sunscreensSkin PenetrationHormone disruptionSkin AllergyOther concernsReferences
UV filters with higher toxicity concerns
Oxybenzone8WidespreadDetected in nearly every American; found in mother’s milk; 1-to-9% skin penetration in lab studiesActs like estrogen in the body; alters sperm production in animals; associated with endometriosis in womenRelatively high rates of skin allergyJanjua 2004, Janjua 2008, Sarveiya 2004, Gonzalez 2006, Rodriguez 2006, Krause 2012
Octinoxate (Octylmethoxycinnamate)6WidespreadFound in mothers’ milk; less than 1% skin penetration in human and laboratory studiesHormone-like activity; reproductive system, thyroid and behavioral alterations in animal studiesModerate rates of skin allergyKrause 2012, Sarveiya 2004, Rodriguez, 2006, Klinubol 2008
UV filters with moderate toxicity concerns
Homosalate4WidespreadFound in mothers’ milk; skin penetration less than 1% in human and laboratory studiesDisrupts estrogen, androgen and progesteroneToxic breakdown productsKrause 2012, Sarveiya 2004, SCCNFP 2006
Octisalate3Widespread; stabilizes avobenzoneSkin penetration in lab studiesRarely reported skin allergyWalters 1997, Shaw 2006 Singh 2007
Octocrylene3WidespreadFound in mothers’ milk; skin penetration in lab studiesRelatively high rates of skin allergyKrause 2012, Bryden 2006, Hayden 2005
UV filters with lower toxicity concerns
Titanium Dioxide2 (topical use), 6 (powder or spray)WidespreadNo finding of skin penetrationNo evidence of hormone disruptionNoneInhalation concernsGamer 2006, Nohynek 2007, Wu 2009, Sadrieh 2010, Takeda 2009, Shimizu 2009, Park 2009, IARC 2006b
Zinc Oxide2 (topical use), 4 (powder or spray)Widespread; excellent UVA protectionLess than 0.01% skin penetration in human volunteersNo evidence of hormone disruptionNoneInhalation concernsGulson 2012, Sayes 2007, Nohynek 2007, SCCS 2012
Avobenzone2Widespread; best UVA protection of chemical filtersVery limited skin penetrationNo evidence of hormone disruptionRelatively high rates of skin allergyKlinubol 2008, Bryden 2006, Hayden 2005, Montenegro 2008
Mexoryl SX2Uncommon; pending FDA approval; offers good, stable UVA protectionLess than 0.16% penetrated the skin of human volunteersNo evidence of hormone disruptionSkin allergy is rareBenech-Kieffer 2003, Fourtanier2008

Chemical sunscreens permeate the skin to some degree, and recently have been linked to tissue damage and potential hormone disruption.

“Laboratory studies of several sunscreen chemicals indicate that they may mimic hormones and disrupt the hormone system (Krause 2012, Schlumpf 2001, 2004, 2008).

Two European studies have detected sunscreen chemicals in mothers’ milk, indicating that the developing fetus and newborns may be exposed to these substances (Schlumpf 2008, Schlumpf 2010).”

Mineral Sunscreens are made with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and generally rate better than chemical sunscreens for toxicity.

Many sunscreens contain anti-inflammatory chemicals that can prevent skin from looking  sunburned. This is a problem because if you can’t see your body turning red, you assume you are adequately protected from the sun’s rays…but that’s not true.

Consumers are being lulled into thinking that their sunscreen is providing more protection than it actually does, and the result is that they stay out longer in the sun and increase their risk of skin cancer and skin damage.  So when it comes to sunscreens, do your homework!

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The ABCDE’s of Melanoma

frecklesHere are the facts about the ABCDEs of Melanoma.  Part of good sun prevention and protection is checking your body for changes in moles at least once a year. Moles, brown spots and growths on the skin are usually harmless – but not always.

Anyone who has more than 100 moles is at greater risk for melanoma. That’s why it’s so important to get to know your skin, so that you can recognize any changes in the moles on your body.

Look for the ABCDEs of melanoma, and if you see one or more, make an appointment with a physician immediately.

Asymmetry                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             If you draw a line through this mole, the two halves will not match.

Border                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven. The edges may be scalloped or notched.

Color                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Having a variety of colors is another warning signal. A number of different shades of brown, tan or black could appear. A melanoma may also become red, blue or some other color.

Diameter                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Melanomas usually are larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on your pencil (1/4 inch or 6 mm), but they may sometimes be smaller when first detected.

Evolving                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           Any change – in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait, or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or crusting – points to danger.

Many sunscreens only protect against UVB rays, but to be protected against both UVA and UVB rays, look for a ‘broad spectrum’ sunscreen or products that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

Aside from skin cancer, the sun’s UV rays also cause:

  • Premature aging: Signs of premature aging include wrinkles, mottled skin, and loss of skin’s firmness.
  • Immunosuppression: Weakening of the body’s ability to protect itself from cancer and other diseases.
  • Cataracts / macular degeneration: Macular degeneration, for which there is no cure, is the leading cause of blindness in people aged 65 and older.

Remember to check your birthday suit on your birthday for moles, brown spots and growths!  Skin cancer is very treatable when caught early.

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