ST. GEORGE — Summer means fun in the sun for many, but it also signals a time to protect the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays. Overexposure can lead to a variety of skin cancers. This is especially true in Utah, which has the unfortunate distinction of having the highest rate of melanoma skin cancer in the nation.
While many medical professionals attribute the large number of melanoma cases in Utah to the high altitude, Terence Rhodes, MD, Ph.D., a medical oncologist at Intermountain Healthcare in St. George, said there may be other factors as well because this isn’t the case everywhere.
“Other states that have high elevations do not have the rates of melanoma that we have, so there’s things that we don’t quite understand,” said Rhodes, adding that it’s kind of an odds game as to who will actually develop melanoma regardless of where they live.
“Some people can have lifelong exposure to the sun and never protect their skin and never develop melanoma,” Rhodes said. “However, it is a certainty that sun exposure is a factor for developing melanoma.”
The upside of these dire statistics is the medical breakthroughs in treating melanoma. Rhodes said a patient diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma 10 years ago typically only had about six months to live. Advanced treatments such as immunotherapy have changed things dramatically. Rhodes said a stage 4 melanoma patient today could undergo immunotherapy and potentially live beyond five years.
“This immunotherapy reveals the melanoma to the immune system so that it can do the killing of the cancer,” Rhodes said. “Immunotherapy is usually for medication that is used over a certain period of time.”
Check it out
Physicians in Southern Utah primarily treat three different types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. All of these skin cancer types can be brought on or exacerbated by the sun.
Most cases of basal cell and squamous cell cancer can be treated by a dermatologist. Melanoma is a lot more serious and can be life threatening if left untreated. Rhodes suggests people get a baseline check for skin cancer at age 18, then regular checks in the later stages of life. More frequent checks are needed for those who have experienced a lot of sunburns.
In between checkups, people are advised to monitor their own skin for changes in pigmentation and moles. Below are the ABCDEs of abnormal skin conditions:
- A: Asymmetry. The mole or spot is asymmetric.
- B: Borders. The spot has irregular or changing borders.
- C: Color. The color of the spot has changed.
- D: Diameter. The spot is getting bigger.
- E: Evolving. The spot has changed over time.
If one or more of these changes are noted, the area should be checked out by a dermatologist or general physician. If a nodule can be felt in the lymph nodes in the neck, armpits or groin, that’s another indication that medical attention is needed.
Learn not to burn
The best defense against harmful UVA and UVB rays is to use sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher when outside. The sun shines most days of the year in Southern Utah, making the need for sunscreen even more important in this area. Harmful UVA rays can cause skin damage even on cloudy days. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
One of the mistakes people make is not applying enough sunscreen to begin with or failing to reapply it every two hours.
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends liberally applying sunscreen to the skin about 15 minutes before going outside. The lips are also susceptible to skin cancer so balms that contain sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher are advised. Lightweight clothing such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses can further help protect the skin from harmful sun exposure.
There is an array of sunscreen products available so most people should be able to find one that works for them. Sprays, creams, gels or sunscreen sticks with an SPF of 30 or higher are recommended.
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