Shedding some (safe) light on skin cancer

* From the The Hard News Cafe 5-12- 04

The sun is out, the air is getting warmer and more and more students are lying out on the Quad or visiting the tanning booths. Why are they doing this? Maybe it is to increase happiness, or just to get rid of those white legs. However one looks at it, is all this sun exposure good for the students at Utah State University?

"What's the harm in getting a little sun before the summer season?" said Jessie Eborn, a sophomore majoring in accounting.

The National Coalition for Skin Cancer Prevention stated that  90 percent of all skin cancers can be attributed to the sun. They also reported that most malignant melanomas occur between the ages of 25 to 29 years of age. Skin cancer is rapidly growing into the most common type of cancer, according to the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute at Ohio State University.

What exactly is skin cancer? The National Cancer Institute defines skin cancer "as a disease in which cancer cells (malignant) are found in the outer layer of the skin."

Skin cancer comes in many different forms. The first is non-melanoma skin cancer. Non-melanoma skin cancer can either be basal or sqaumous cell carcinoma and account for about 80 percent of all skin cancer. The first, basal cell carcinoma, is a slow growing form of cancer and rarely spreads to other parts of the body. It occurs in the lowest layer of the epidermis, the basal layer.

The second form of non-melanoma skin cancer is sqaumous cell carcinoma. This form of cancer is found in the higher levels of the epidermis and unlike its counter form is more susceptible to spreading to other areas and has a higher growth rate.

The most serious form of skin cancer is melanoma. The Skin Cancer Foundation states this form of cancer is "characterized by the uncontrolled growth of pigment-producing tanning cells" and may appear without any warning.

With one in every 100 Americans falling victim to skin cancer, USU students should be aware of what skin cancer looks like. A good rule of thumb is to use the ABCs of mole watching:

• Asymmetry, the mole should look like the same on both sides.
• Borders, a ragged outline that is inflamed and red could be an indication that something is wrong.
• Color, any mole with deeper shades or mixtures of color should be considered suspicious.
• Diameter, normally moles are less than 5mm in diameter; this also includes increase in the size of a mole or a new mole that has formed.

Although everyone is in danger of getting skin cancer, certain individuals might have a higher susceptibility. Those include people with red hair, those with lighter skin, people who have a history of burning easily as well as a family history of skin cancer.

How do sun-loving students protect themselves from the sun? The Skin Care Foundation offers six tips on how to protect oneself from the sun and to remain skin cancer free.

• One, Do not sunbathe.
• Two, Avoid unnecessary sun exposure, especially between 10:00 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• Three, use sunscreen that is SPF 15 or higher.
• Four, Wear protective clothing and sunglasses when exposed to sunlight.
• Five, Stay away from artificial tanning devices.
  

So, the $64,000 questions is: is there a safe way to tan? According to the American Academy of Dermatologists , there is no safe way to tan. Although there is no evidence that links tanning beds to cancer, the same risks are present with both forms of sun exposure. Because the tanning process causes melanin to respond where injury to the skin has occurred, damage to the skin accumulates the more one goes tanning.

Crystal Jones, a senior majoring in interior design and a part-time employee at a tanning studio said, "As long as individuals knows the harm of UV rays we can't stop them from going tanning. We just give them the protection they need and emphasize that burning is not good and you should make sure you don't overdo it."

Because skin cancer is the most common type of cancer, not everyone is lucky. There is help. If caught early, the 5-year survival rate for non-melanoma skin cancer is 99 percent for basal cancer and 95 percent for sqaumous cancer.

Common treatments include some type of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, laser therapy, or even clinical trails. The goal for a physician when skin cancer treatment is inevitable, is to remove or completely destroy the cancer with as little scarring as possible.

Tisha Williamson, a senior majoring in public relations, said students should be educated before they tan.

"More students should be aware of what skin cancer is and what can happen to you," she said. "I don't think people really know what happens when they hit the tanning beds."