Nikki Sommer, a nurse with Key West Surgical Group, joined Good Morning Keys on KeysTalk 96.9/102.5 FM for Medical Matters this morning.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
Sommer said, “Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.”
One type of skin cancer is basal cell carcinoma.
Sommer said, “This is the common one. It might look like a little pearly bump or pink patch that won’t heal. Sometimes it can even be flesh colored, and it is slow growing. That is the one that usually doesn’t spread to other parts of the body.”
Squamous cell is a little more aggressive.
Sommer said, “It usually can look like a crusty spot or a wart. Sometimes it can bleed, it can ooze. Sometimes you might think you scratched your arm, and then it doesn’t heal. So if you have a spot on your arm that doesn’t heal, it’s a sign it could be squamous cell carcinoma, and when it says it’s aggressive, it spreads. So it can go to other parts of the body, it can get down, it can grow into the skin and go down into the lymphatic system and spread. If you have a lesion that looks suspicious, you need to get it looked at.”
Melanoma is the most dangerous skin cancer.
Sommer said, “It can spread very quickly and be life threatening, if not caught early. That usually is a dark spot. People look for like a black, dark spot. Melanoma is the most aggressive form, and it can spread if not caught early enough.”
When it comes to keeping an eye on moles or spots on your skin, the A, B, C, D, E, rule is best.
Sommer said, “Each letter stands for something. So A is for asymmetry. One half doesn’t match the other. If you have a skin lesion on your body that looks like a map within an irregular border, that’s a sign that you need to go get that looked at, which leads us into B, the border. The edges are jagged, blurred or irregular. So if one half of the lesion is a circle and then it’s not a full round circle, and it spreads and then the borders are jagged, that’s a sign that it could be a skin cancer.”
C is for color.
Sommer said, “Which means multiple shades or odd colors of blue or black. So sometimes you’ll start with a spot and it’s light brown. If you start to see a change where one corner of it gets really dark, has that bluish or black hue, you want to go get it looked at as soon as possible.”
D is for diameter.
Sommer said, “A diameter bigger than six millimeters, about the size of a pencil eraser, that’s something you want to have checked out immediately, especially if you see a spot that was never that big, and it is starting to grow. Go get it looked at.”
E is for evolving.
Sommer said, “Changing, itching, bleeding. Sometimes with squamous cell, they get irritated. You think like it’s a bug bite that you scratch, but it doesn’t heal, and it itches or it bleeds, that’s something that you need to get checked out.”
Living in the sun, like we do in the Keys, can be a major factor.
Sommer said, “Down here, life is being out in the open, a lot of people like to boat. They like to fish, diving, kayaking. I mean, that’s all the part of life that people live down here. That’s what draws people to come live down here, is the abundance of outside we can have. So you’ve just got to be careful. When you’re on the water, it does reflect the sunlight. So even if you’re wearing a hat, the sun can hit your underneath, and you can still get sun on your face or on your body.”
Sunscreen and hats are both very important.
Sommer said, “I tell people sunscreen every day, even if you’re walking outside or sitting in your car, you’re still getting that reflection through the glass and it’s hitting your skin. If you’re out daily, I usually tell people that see me 30 or higher every day, because you’re going to be out no matter what, even if it’s taking your garbage cans to the curb, running your errands, you’re in and out of the car. So at least an SPF of 30. If you’re going to spend time sunbathing at the beach or out for long periods of time, apply 50 or higher, and then apply it frequently. Because if you apply it at 9am in the morning, and then you’re in the water for four hours, you’ve already lost that protection.”
For more information, click here: https://www.keywestsurgicalgroup.com/