Detecting skin cancer early
02:25 PM PDT on Tuesday, May 31, 2005
NWCN / CNN More than one million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year, and melanoma is the most serious.
More than one million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year, according to the American Cancer Society, and more than 10,000 Americans will die from it. Much of the sun exposure that leads to skin cancer happens by age 18.
As a child, 29-year old Lynda Noggle spent a lot of time in the sun.
"I was on the swim team and all my friends and I hung out at the pool all day long, probably for six, seven years of my life," said Noggle.
Because she had fair skin and a lot of moles, she started seeing a dermatologist regularly. Last summer, one of those moles turned potentially deadly.
"He shaved it off and it turned out to be melanoma," said Noggle.
More than one million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year, and melanoma is the most serious.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology, excess sun is the number one cause. Experts say by age 18, you've already had most of the sun exposure that causes skin cancer.
"Beyond 18, there are a lot of people that can change their fate if you will by protecting themselves from the sun, wearing a sun screen that's going to give you an SPF or sun protection factor of at least a 15," said Dr. Paula Bourelly, dermatologist.
Bourelly encourages people to be dilligent about doing self exams.
"Any mole or lesion on your body that's changing," said Bourelly. "It may be changing because of the shape, size or color, it may be changing because now it's begun to bleed or itch those are all red flags for us and we'd like to get those lesions evaluated sooner rather than later."
Doctors said it's important to start protecting yourself early because it's not just sunburn. Even sun tanning damages skin cells.