7/31/2019 Week 21 Health

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Question: My kidsre looking forwardo a sunny summer on

he water, but myusband and I worrybout skin cancer.ow can we enjoy aay at the beachafely? 

Answer: The mosturefire way to avoidkin cancer is to stayut of the sun. Tryorbidding your kidsrom water sports andandcastles, however,nd you're asking forrouble. But you can

inimize the sun'sangers while soak-ng in its rewards.

Skin cancer is theost common cancer

n the United States.here are three typesf skin cancer. Basalell carcinoma is theost benign type asell as the most com-on: It accounts for

 bout four-fifths of allkin-cancer cases. It'slso the least likely to

pread.Squamous cell car-inoma accounts fornother 16 percent of 

skin cancers. Mencarry four times therisk of squamous cell

cancer as women.Basal and squamouscell cancers usuallyaren't fatal, and nei-ther will progress intomelanoma. But squa-mous cell carcinomacan be life-threaten-ing if it spreads tolymph nodes or inter-nal organs. Fortu-nately, this type of spread is quite un-common, and evenwhen it occurs, about

half of the cases can be cured.The most deadly

skin cancer is malig-nant melanoma,which afflicts about45,000 Americans peryear. Although it ac-counts for only 4 per-cent of skin cancers, itcauses more thanthree-quarters of allskin cancer deaths.Without early detec-tion and treatment, it

can spread to thelymph nodes and in-ternal organs.

Each skin cancerhas its own profile.Basal cell carcinomamay first appear as a

pearly pimple or bump, a white or yel-low scar, or a scalyred patch. Some basalcell cancers appear asan ulcer that won'theal. A squamous cellcarcinoma usuallystarts as a small, scaly bump and growsslowly until it lookslike an ulcer or wart.Squamous cell can-cers frequently occuron the face, lips, earsor backs of the hands.

Melanoma requiresspecial attention. Tofind it early, look forthe ABCDs. Theseletters stand forasymmetry , meaningone half of the growthlooks different fromthe other; border ir-regularity, in whichthe edges are raggedor blurry; color that'sunusual (black, red-

dish, bluish or evenmulticolored); and adiameter that exceeds6 mm, about thewidth of a pencileraser. And a mole orgrowth that's evolvedor changed in anyway should bechecked by a derma-tologist.

There are twokinds of ultravioletrays that can damagethe skin: UVA and

UVB. Sunblocks andsunscreens protect

against both, but indifferent ways. Trueto the name, sun- blocks prevent bothUVA and UVB radia-tion from reachingyour skin by reflect-ing it away. Sun-screens, on the otherhand, absorb ratherthan reflect UV radia-tion. Lifeguards oftenuse the sunblockingagents zinc oxide ortitanium oxide, thecreamy white coatingthat has saved many anose from too muchsun. These ingredi-ents are used in somelotions, such as thoselabeled as "nonchemi-cal" or "for sensitiveskin."

Most people focuson the sun protectionfactor (SPF) rating of sunscreen. The higherthe SPF, the longer it

protects against sunexposure. The Ameri-can Academy of Der-matology recom-mends an SPF ratingof at least 15. Peoplewith fair skin or athigh risk for skin can-cer may want ahigher SPF.

But SPF rating

measures only howwell a sunscreen de-flects UVB rays. A

standard measure-ment for UVA protec-tion hasn't beendetermined. Sincemany sunscreens arenot geared to block UVA rays, seek outproducts labeled"broad spectrum."They should protectagainst the broadestpossible range of UVradiation. Two newsunscreens — Anthe-lios SX and Helioplex

— provide longer-lasting protectionagainst UVA andUVB rays than tradi-tional sunscreens.

Even when using ahigh SPF sunscreen,many sun worshipersget burned. Theyprobably use too littleand apply it too infre-quently. Use about ashot glass full of sun-screen for exposedareas of skin, and

apply it about 15 to 30minutes before goingoutdoors. Reapply itimmediately afterswimming and everytwo hours, even if you stay out of thewater.

Because sunscreenand sunblock can'tprotect you from allof the sun's rays, takeother protectivemeasures. Wear cloth-ing made from tightlywoven fabrics orthose that absorb UVlight. Avoid the sunfrom 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,when its rays aremost intense. Andwear a wide- brimmed hat to keepsun off your face.

People soak in 85percent of their life-time UV rays by thetime they are 18.Given that statistic,it's understandableyou'd want to protectyour children. Fun inthe sun has numerous benefits, and a fewsimple precautionscan lower the risk of sunburn, skin cancerand the wrinkled, yel-low skin that makessun worshipers look old before their time.

OUR GOOD HEALTH

 2 Rubin Dr., Rushville Open Mon.-Sat.

 Expanded Hours for your convenience:

 Mon-Thurs 7:30am-7pm; Fri 7:30am-5pm; Sat. 8am-12pm

 Call 585-554-4400 to schedule an appointment. 

Currently accepting new Medical and Dental patients.

 Accepting all insurances, including Medicaid &

Medicare. Sliding fee discounts available to qualifying patients with no, or limited, insurance.

 Dr. Kim Healy

 134 Lake Street Penn Yan, NY 14527

 315-536-3700

 Serving All Ages of Individuals & Families Since 1987  Specializing In Healing Work For: 

 • Abuse & Trauma • Life Transitions • Grief & Loss  Unique Sand Tray Therapy Experience Available 

 to All Clients  By Appointment Only 

 215 Main St., Suites 3 & 5 Edith Kerby Mann, L.C.S.W. Penn Yan Counselor (315) 536-7329 Sand Tray Therapist

 Seneca Lake Terrace 3670 PreEmption Rd., Geneva

 315-789-4162 We offer beautifully designed privateapartments in a neighborhood setting.

 • 24 hour security • Deliciously prepared restaurant style meals served

 • All housekeeping, laundry and linen provided • Dynamic activities program

 • Beauty Salon, Ice Cream Parlor, Chapel • Outdoor Gardens and enclosed patios

 • Caregivers available Come see why so many have chosen

 Seneca Lake Terrace

 Visit us on the Internet atwww.senecalaketerrace.com

 PENN YAN

 COMMUNITY  HEALTH

 Yates Family Planning is now 

 SAME location, SAME providers, 

 MORE services!

 ACCEPTING

NEW PATIENTS • Still offering complete family

planning and reproductive services

 • Now offering FULL medicalservices as well

 • Accepting Medicaid, Child HealthPlus and most other insurances

 • Generous sliding fee scalefor those without insurance.

 • Full dental services COMING SOON!

 160 Main Street

 Penn Yan (315) 536-2752

Minimizing skin cancer risk this summerBy the faculty of Harvard Medical School

Copyright 2008 the President and Fellows of HarvardCollege. Developed by Harvard Health Publications(www.health.harvard.edu).

Distributed by UFS. Submit questions to har-vard_adviser@hms. harvard.edu.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012 • Chronicle-Express.com • The Chronicle-ExpressB6