5 Minutes with a Dermatologist

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, and we've been sharing information all month about skin cancer and sun safety. Many local dermatologists participated in our free skin cancer screening in April, including Dr. Chris Schach and Dr. Eric Stewart of Ozark Dermatology Clinic. We thought you might want to know the answers to a few questions we recently asked their staff - which also includes Dr. Kevin St. Clair, Dr. Robert Brown, and Physician's Assistants Robert Stevens and Joshua Matthews. Feel free to post your own questions in the comments section at the end of the post.

Question: How have your cases changed over the last 10 years with respect to the skin cancer you are seeing?

Answer: Overall, the rate of nonmelanoma skin cancer (primary basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas) has remained about the same. As the baby boomer generation continues to age, however, we are seeing an increased number of nonmelanoma skin cancer in that population. The main concerning change that we have seen is the increased rate of melanoma in younger and younger women. It is not unusual to see malignant melanoma now in women in their late 20s or early 30s. Hopefully, increased awareness of measures to take to prevent sunburn and minimize sun exposure will pay off over time with decreasing rates of all types of skin cancer.


Question: There has been a lot in the news about the danger of tanning beds. Is any indoor tanning safe? What about outdoor tanning - is any level of sun exposure okay?

Answer: There are many efforts underway at the state level to regulate tanning bed use and to prevent minors from using or abusing tanning beds. If the skin darkens in response to exposure to ultraviolet radiation, whether the source is sunlight or a tanning bed, this does result in damage to the skin. This not only increases skin cancer risk, but also the risk of premature aging of the skin. Despite advertising to the contrary by the tanning bed industry, there is no such thing as a "safe tan." There are only degrees of injury. The only tanning that would be considered safe is the spray-on variety where no ultraviolet radiation is used at all. Of course, it is not necessary to avoid sunlight - only avoid sunburn and minimize your overall exposure.

Question: What should we look for in a sunscreen?

Answer: As of June 2012*, the FDA is changing labeling requirements for sunscreen. The new guidelines will include a comment addressing whether or not the sunscreen is "broad spectrum". If the sunscreen product is broad spectrum, this will imply that it provides UVA protection in addition to UVB protection. The Sun Protection Factor, or SPF, which has been used to label sunscreens for many years, implies only the degree of protection against UVB radiation. If a product is considered broad spectrum, a 4-star labeling system will be employed to give consumers some idea of the degree of UVA protection the product provides, with 1 being relatively less protection, and 4 being the maximum.

Another new requirement will be labeling to indicate whether the product is water resistant for 40 minutes or water resistant for up to 80 minutes. Claims of being "waterproof" will no longer be allowed. In my opinion, the best overall sunscreens are titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which are now available in small enough particles that the sunscreen can be rubbed in without leaving a white film.

*the new label requirements have been delayed by six months.

Question: If the sun is not out, do I need to wear sunscreen?

Answer: Yes, because even though it does not feel as warm and it is not as bright if it is a cloudy day, a significant proportion of ultraviolet radiation will penetrate through clouds and can still cause sunburn. In addition, quite a bit of ultraviolet radiation, especially UVA, can be reflected and scattered, and this is why many people have noticed that one can sunburn even standing under a tree or in a shaded area.

Here Comes the Sun!!

It's not too early to talk about sun safety, especially since we've seen a few pink arms and faces around the office today after a sunny weekend. Additionally, there was this news today about a higher rate of melanoma being diagnosed in "wealthy white women". Obviously, the people who need to hear our message of sunscreen, hats and shade most are not hearing it - or they're ignoring it. We still have work to do in that area.

But this week we're more interested in being aware of signs of past sun transgressions. Most of us already know that too much sun can damage our skin. In fact, any amount of sun causes damage, with the level and severity increasing over time. Tanning (whether by the pool or in a bed) is, technically, an intentional cooking of one's outer layers of skin. Now that you know that, we are confident you will remember to use more sunscreen in the future. But what about all those unprotected days you've already spent acquiring a "healthy glow"?

Many skin cancers start out as a weird-looking mole or patch of skin that itches or bleeds and doesn't heal properly. But there are a myriad of other skin anomalies that a dermatologist checks for during a screening for skin damage. Most people don't go see a dermatologist on their own unless they have a diagnosis that requires it - eczema for example, or rosacea. Several reasons might be offered for not getting regular check ups: lack of time, the high cost of a specialist that's not covered under your health insurance plan, or just no clue how to choose one out of the long list of clinics in Northwest Arkansas.

Have we got a deal for you!!!  Mark your calendar for our upcoming skin cancer screening clinic that will be held April 2nd at our office. All that is required of you is that you call to set an appointment. Easy! We will bring seven local dermatologists to you to check moles, freckles, and that funny little patch on your forehead that flakes and itches. And all that special attention is absolutely free of charge!!

Take a minute and schedule an appointment - call 479-361-5847 and we'll get you set up. After you've made your own appointment, call or email all your friends and family in NWA and challenge them to do the same. It's a quick visit, doesn't cost a thing, and could be the key to preventing a loved one from having to deal with Melanoma, the most lethal type of skin cancer that killed almost 9,000 people in the U.S. last year. Help us help reduce that number this year by scheduling your screening today.

Happenings!!

We have a lot to be thankful for at Hope Cancer Resources! Our staff and the amazing programs they administrate in Northwest Arkansas, the painters who are making our building look spiffy inside (the smell, however, we are not so grateful for...) and the landscapers who are cleaning up the outside, gifts from people who believe in our mission, and of course - our volunteers!

Tomorrow night we are welcoming our volunteers to our office to treat them to dinner to demonstrate in a small way our immense gratitude for the work they do for us. We have several kinds of volunteers who work with us throughout the year, and they are all vital to our efforts to support the cancer patients of Northwest Arkansas. Visit our website to find out more about the opportunities we have available to make a difference in the lives of cancer patients in Northwest Arkansas.

Skin Cancer Screening Clinic - May 8, 2010

Do you know what skin cancer looks like? Or feels like? Have you been keeping an eye on a sore that won't heal or a mole that looks different than it did a few months ago? We have a free screening coming up on May 8 that you may be interested in. Call us at 479-361-5847 to schedule an appointment to come in to visit with local professionals to take a healthy step toward preventing skin cancer. You may not think that skin cancer would be as serious as some other forms of the disease, but in fact, Malignant Melanoma is extremely deadly, and it's an equal-opportunity disease - anyone, at any age, can get it. Get checked, and get the facts.

We were thrilled to get a call recently from the Global Transformation team at Walmart who submitted and received a Community Grant for us in the amount of $1,000.00. While it's always nice to receive a grant for $20,000 like the recent one from the Arkansas Cancer Coalition, we depend heavily on smaller donations to keep the programs and assistance flowing into our community. For example, $1,000 will provide 2-3 rent payments or 4-6 prescriptions for patients struggling to pay the bills, or 40 gas cards for patients being treated in NWA but living outside the area. We work hard to make every dollar count, and appreciate Walmart for having a corporate commitment to supporting their community and encouraging their employees to do the same.

Don't forget about our upcoming Heather Ridley-Fleeman Battle for Hope scheduled for May 1st at Old Tiger Stadium in Bentonville! Registrations are coming in fast and furious, and the last day for the pre-registration discount is this Friday. You find more info about the event and register online at the event website. Contact us if you have questions or need more information.