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Melanoma Melanoma Prevention
Many experts recommend that people stay out of the sun to avoid skin damage, including melanoma. If you must be in the sun, exercise "sun sense." Avoid sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., when ultraviolet (UV) exposure is greatest, and use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) no less than 15. But do not assume that sunscreen will protect you against the risk of skin cancer just because it is protecting you against sunburn: If you increase your sun exposure, you may increase your skin cancer risk whether or not you burn. Some studies link high sunscreen usage to cancer, which may possibly mean that people who use sunscreens are overindulging in sun exposure. If you must be in bright sun, sunscreen alone may not provide adequate protection: Keep exposed areas of your body covered. In addition to protecting your arms, legs, and trunk, remember your head, neck, and shoulders. Wear a visor or a hat with a brim. Melanoma usually occurs on the head and neck, on men’s trunks, and on women’s lower legs. But do not ignore changes in moles in areas of the body that are not exposed to sun. Melanoma can occur in these areas as well. In considering your sun risk, remember that places at high elevation receive more UV radiation than those at sea level. Take extra care to avoid sun exposure at high elevations; UV exposure is greater at high altitudes. Beware that the sun reflecting off water, sand, and snow can damage skin. This fact may be borne out by the incidence of melanoma among people living in a Pennsylvania county near the New Jersey shoreline -- a rate that is twice that of Allegheny County, in the southwest area of the state. The statistics may mean that people near the coast spend more time on the beach, under the sun.
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