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Checking your own skin is seen as valuable in many countries, with skin cancer knowing no boundaries.
As we enter the summer of 2023, there are additional reasons to keep an eye on your skin. Warm weather and the sunshine accompanying this can exacerbate a range of skin diseases, from rosacea, to dermatitis.
Those and other conditions benefit from early intervention, after first diagnosis, or a flare up. Seeing a dermatologist promptly makes sense, although this is more important than ever with skin cancers.
A Danger Worth Containing
Treatment for late stage, invasive skin cancers, such as melanoma has improved in recent times. Welcome news but the core issue remains.
The latest figures from Cancer Research UK show that 5 year survival from stage 1 melanoma is almost 100%. For stage 2 this drops to 80%, for stage 3 70% and by the time stage 4 is reached, just 30% survive 5 years.
A need to find problems early is self evident for melanoma, as is the case for rare skin cancers, or squamous cell carcinoma. This metastasises in about 5% of cases but is a quite prevalent disease.
Neither should “milder” skin cancers such as basal cell carcinoma be treated differently. They may be unlikely to kill but early diagnosis reduces treatment, surgical intervention, discomfort and time of work.
Finding The Time
Finding perhaps half an hour is valuable once, or twice a year, for professional skin cancer screening with a dermatologist. Setting aside a few minutes a month in between visits can be just as important.
As you can see at checking your skin, this is not a difficult task. A partner, or friend can help with out of sight areas, although by yourself is fine.
Apart from finding current issues, you get to know your own skin and become more adept at spotting future changes. This brings reasons for consultation forward, which can turn a potential problem into a minor nuisance.
There are no skin cancers which do not respond well to specialist, early treatment. Equally, every type known will worsen over time.
Spreading The Word
No great shock that men are less likely to carry out skin checks than women. So encouraging your husband, partner, brother, father, or others you know to take part is valuable, to them and people around them.
The same can apply to teenagers and young people, who tend to feel invulnerable but are at risk. Skin cancer cases in young people have increased.
Neither are we suggesting that the message shouldn’t be shared regardless of gender, age, or how well you know someone. What you are promoting is a gift, which can save pain, anxiety, or someone’s life.
Please take the time to check your skin and to seek professional skin cancer diagnosis if the need arises. We hope this isn’t the case for you and often will not be but the time you spent is still worthwhile.