These days it’s not only the suspicious stranger lurking behind your back that you have to watch. In the United States, you are more likely to run into trouble from a melanoma on your back, the most common location of this potentially deadly skin cancer.

Each year over a million people in the United States alone will be diagnosed with skin cancer. Of these, approximately 80,000 will be afflicted with melanoma. The incidence or the number of new cases of melanoma per year continues to rise. One in seventy-one persons born in the year 2001 will develop melanoma over their lifetime. Although it is not the most common skin cancer, melanoma is the most aggressive and has the ability to spread to other parts of the body.

Melanoma is a malignant tumor that is made up of abnormal melanocytes. Normal melanocytes, which reside in everybody’s skin, are cells that produce a brown pigment called melanin. Melanin is the major determinant of a person’s skin color and also serves as the body’s own natural sunscreen. A melanoma develops when certain melanocytes are no longer able to control their own growth and continue to multiply at a fast rate. This phenomenon occurs when melanocytes undergo significant damage. Too much exposure to sunlight, especially enough to cause blistering or peeling sunburns during childhood, can result in enough cellular injury to cause a melanoma as well as other skin cancers. In addition, there are other factors that make a person more susceptible to developing a melanoma. These include:

—      Blond or red hair, blue eyes, or fair skin

—      More than 100 normal moles or many unusual moles

—      Previous history of a melanoma

—      Blood relative(s) with a melanoma

You can’t change the way you look or your relatives. However, you can reduce your risk of melanoma by wearing plenty of sunscreen that protects against both ultraviolet A and B rays, avoiding sun exposure between the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM when the sun is brightest, seeking shade, and covering yourself up with clothing.

In general, early detection of any cancer including melanoma increases the likelihood of a complete cure. The most likely person to detect an early skin cancer is you! We do not expect you to be able to diagnosis skin cancer but simply being aware of changes occurring on your skin may save your life. There are three main points that you need to know in order to properly perform a self-skin-examination:

—      · Point #1: Melanoma can occur anywhere on the body from head to toe, although it is most common on sun-exposed skin. Therefore, you should examine your skin everywhere, including the palms of your hands and soles of your feet. Mirrors may be used to inspect areas that you are unable to directly visualize.

—      Point #2: “Know your ABCD’s.” These are different than the ones we all learned in Kindergarten. The “ABCD’s” are comprised of four descriptive features, which many melanomas have. Keep in mind that the “ABCD’s” are not perfect criteria and are meant to be used as a general guide for you to examine your skin. The bottom line is for you to remember to check your skin. If any spots on your body have a change in size, shape, or color or make you uncomfortable, the best action is to undergo a formal examination by a trained and experienced healthcare professional.

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