You can do it: Protect yourself from skin cancer
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Cover as much of your skin as possible when you are outdoors.
You can take action to prevent skin cancer. You can also find it early when it is most treatable.
Skin cancer is the most common second cancer in adult survivors of childhood cancer who received radiation. It is also the most common cancer overall in the U.S., according to the National Cancer Institute.
The key ways to prevent or detect skin cancer early are:
- Protect your skin against ultraviolet (UV) rays of the sun.
- Perform monthly self-checks. Have a trusted family member or friend check hard-to-see places, such as your back.
- Have a full-body skin exam by a health care provider at least once a year. (See related article on skin checks.)
How can we help survivors to check their skin regularly?
Long-Term Follow-Up Study (LTFU) researchers recently looked at ways to encourage more survivors to screen for skin cancer. The Advancing Survivors’ Knowledge (ASK) About Skin Cancer study studied whether sending reminders would help.
The study tested these educational and reminder methods:
- Monthly text messages
- Printed education materials
- Website
More than 700 survivors took part in the study, said Alan Geller, RN, MPH, senior lecturer at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the study’s principal investigator.
Alan Geller, RN, MPH
What researchers learned
Survivors receiving all three methods reported a 15–20% increase in annual physician skin exams and monthly skin self-checks.
“The positive message is that reminders work,” Geller said. “Ask your doctor to do a full-body skin exam at your annual physical exam. Let your doctor know that you were treated with radiation and have a greater risk of skin cancer. If you notice something that does not look right when you do your monthly skin checks, let your doctor know right away.”
You can find free skin screening locations on the American Academy of Dermatology website.