Read More Ah, summer break. It’s time to leave the daily grind behind and (hopefully) take some time to relax, enjoy yourself with friends and escape work or school for a little while. It’s natural for people to flock toward places that offer warm weather and sea breezes, but they may find themselves unprepared for the intense ultraviolet (UV) rays …
Destination Healthy Skin 2022 Kicks Off During Skin Cancer Awareness Month
Read More As May flowers bloomed, we kicked off Destination Healthy Skin (DHS), our mobile screening and education program. Our RV is traveling around the country, and we’re working with local dermatologists to provide free skin cancer screenings in the communities we visit. It’s the first time since 2019 that the Foundation has held DHS events during Skin Cancer Awareness …
10 Ways to Boost Your Sunscreen
Read More If you’re an outdoor enthusiast, you may not realize how much UV exposure you’re getting while pursuing your passion. Maximize your sun safety with our experts’ best tips. By Lorraine Glennon Since you’re on The Skin Cancer Foundation’s website, you likely know these basics: Wear sunscreen every single day — sunny or cloudy, summer or winter, autumn or …
Ask the Expert: Can I Avoid a Scar?
Read More Q: I am a little nervous about Mohs surgery for a skin cancer on my face. Will I have a big, ugly scar? Hooman Khorasani, MD: I spend about 50 percent of my time doing Mohs surgery, and I am careful to reassure scpatients as well as manage their expectations. Most cases are basal cell carcinomas (BCC) and …
Sidelined by Skin Cancer?
Read More Josh Paschal, a University of Kentucky defensive lineman, saw something on the bottom of his foot and said something. He didn’t let his aggressive, rare type of melanoma bench him for good. With lots of support from his teams (medical and football), he tackled his grueling treatments like a warrior and fought his way back onto the playing …
When a Child Gets Skin Cancer
Read More Pediatric melanomas are rare and usually different from adult cases. Now St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital has established a genetics registry to learn more about them. By Sarah Elizabeth Richards When Jesica Dunavent took her 4-month-old daughter, Addison, to her pediatrician for a checkup, she asked him about a little raised red spot on the infant’s left arm …
A Lifetime in the Sun
Read More Passion for the great outdoors has been both a blessing and a curse for Leo J. McCarthy, MD. Nature has given him so much that is positive, but the sun exposure led to many skin cancers, too. By Elizabeth Sutton, MD, and C. William Hanke, MD, MPH Nature was Leo McCarthy’s playground during his childhood in the Midwest, …
Basal Cell Carcinoma at Age 16 – Teen Warns: “Skin Cancer Can Happen to Anybody.”
Read More Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin cancer, yet extremely rare in children and teens. But it can happen, as Laura Anne Page discovered when she was just 16 years old. In November 2020, Laura Anne was living her best life. She enjoyed high school, going out to eat with friends and family, singing in the …
Ask the Expert: Why Do Some Skin Cancers Go Untreated?
Read More Q: I’ve heard of people who put off surgery for years; do I have to get my skin cancer treated right away? William Hanke, MD, MPH: Most of the time, skin cancers are caught early, when they are relatively small, and are treated with outpatient surgery, such as Mohs micrographic surgery. But sometimes they can grow to become …
Ask the Expert: Why have your “ABCDEs” for the warning signs of melanoma changed?
Read More Rethinking the Alphabet: Some experts believe “dark” may be an even more important warning sign of melanoma than “diameter” and deserves more awareness. Q: One of my favorite tools on The Skin Cancer Foundation website is the “ABCDEs of melanoma.” Recently I noticed that under “D” you now include, in addition to “diameter,” a second warning sign for …