LETTERS: SUMMERS SUN, CANCER ADVICE

To the editor:

This spring marks the American Academy of Dermatology's 13th annual melanoma/skin cancer detection and prevention campaign. Skin cancer, now the most common form of cancer in the United States, is on the rise. One million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year, and one in five Americans can expect to get skin cancer in their lifetime.

This year alone, 40,300 people will be diagnosed with malignant melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, a 12 percent increase from 1996. In 1997, a projected 7,300 people will die from melanoma. One in 87 Americans will get melanoma in their lifetime, and by 2000 we expect the figure will be one in 75.

Melanoma can strike anyone without warning and can occur anywhere on the body. You're at higher risk if you have many moles or large or unusual moles; if you, a parent, a child or a sibling has had melanoma; if you have fair skin; or if you had extensive exposure to the sun before age 15. Redheads and blondes are up to four times as likely to develop melanoma.

Early detection is essential. When found early, melanoma has a 95 percent cure rate. The AAD recommends everyone examine their own body regularly for suspicious-looking moles that are new, growing, itching or bleeding. Look for these danger signs: asymmetry (one half is unlike the other), irregular border (scalloped or poorly defined border), varied color (from one area to another in shades of tan, brown and black and sometimes white, red or blue) and larger diameter (larger than the diameter of a pencil eraser).

Melanoma can be prevented by reducing exposure to the sun's ultraviolet light. With summer just around the corner, here are some timely sun safety tips:

Try to avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. when the sun's rays are the strongest. Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15 about 20 minutes before sun exposure, reapplying it every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Wear a 4-inch-wide brim hat or visor, tightly woven protective clothing and sunglasses. Keep infants under 6 months old out of direct sunlight and use an umbrella over strollers.

If you have any concerns or questions about melanoma, see a dermatologist.

ROGER I. CEILLEY M.D., President

American Academy of Dermatology

Schaumburg, Ill.