Routine screening for everyone does not appear to save many additional lives. In any case, individuals who are worried about any suspicious areas should see a dermatologist or be sure their primary care doctor is able to recognize skin cancers.
Examinations for Patients Previously Treated for Melanoma. People who have had melanoma and been treated successfully are at risk for recurrence or a second primary melanoma. Based on recurrence rates by cancer stage, a team of researchers suggested the following guidelines for being reexamined by the doctor after treatment:
- Stage I patients: Annual examinations.
- Stage II patients: Every 6 months for years 1 and 2 and annually thereafter.
- Stage III patients: Every 3 months for the first year, every 4 months for year 2, and every 6 months for years 3 to 5.
All patients should be checked annually from the sixth year onward. These are guidelines only and may be modified, depending on individual patient characteristics. Some studies also indicate that regular screening of family members of people with melanoma could prevent a number of serious cases.
General Guidelines for Avoiding the Sun and UV Radiation
The best way to prevent skin damage in any case is to avoid episodes of excessive sun exposure. The following are some specific guidelines:
- Use sunscreens that block out both UVA and UVB radiation. However, do not rely on them only for sun protection. Also wear protective clothing and sunglasses.
- Avoid exposure particularly during the hours of 10 AM to 4 PM, when sunlight pours down 80% of its daily UV dose.
- Avoid reflective surfaces, such as water, sand, concrete, and white-painted areas. (Clouds and haze are not protective and in some cases may intensify UVB rays.)
- Ultraviolet intensity depends on the angle of the sun, not heat or brightness. So the dangers are greater the closer to the summer-start date. For example, in the Northern Hemisphere, UV intensity in April (two months before summer starts) is equal to that in August (two months after summer begins).
- The higher the altitude the quicker one sunburns. (One study suggested, for example, that an average complexion burns at 6 minutes at 11,000 feet at noon compared to 25 minutes at sea level in a temperate climate.)
- Avoid sun lamp, and tanning beds or salons. They provide mostly high-output UVA rays. Some experts believe that 15 to 30 minutes at a tanning salon are as dangerous as a day spent in the sun. People should not be misled by advertising claims of "safe" tanning or promotions offering unlimited tanning.
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