Jacksonville and Nocatee Dermatologists

Did You Know That Skin Cancer is the Most Common Type of Cancer?

These full body skin exams by our Jacksonville and Nocatee dermatologists are visual checks that can help find skin that may be cancer or could possibly turn into cancer someday.  Did you know that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer? It is also one of the easiest kinds of cancers to treat if you catch it early. Did you also know that even if you protected your skin carefully from the sun, you can’t be perfect with sun protection? The fact is, sun gets through fabric, bounces off of surfaces and into your shade protected areas, and then starts mutating your DNA.   

When Caught Early Skin Cancer is Among the Easiest Cancers to Treat

It’s important for you to understand that skin cancer can happen on any part of the skin.  We typically see non-melanoma skin cancers on areas of high cumulative sun exposure, although they can rarely happen in sun-protected areas.  Melanoma can happen anywhere, but especially where you have been sunburned.  Family history and skin color play into your risk for all skin cancers.  The fairer your skin, the higher the risk. Having family members with skin cancer, especially melanoma, puts you at higher risk, too. Tanning bed use also puts you at a higher risk for melanoma, because UVA radiation (which tanning beds use to give you that bronzed glow) penetrates even more deeply into the skin than UVB (sun exposure).

The bottom line is that you should schedule your full skin exam now! If skin cancer is caught early, it can be much more easily treated than if it is caught late. When melanoma is caught in late stages of development, it can be deadly.

Learn more about Skin Cancer:
Skin Cancer Screening & Treatment in Jacksonville and Nocatee
Skin Cancer – Cancer.org
Skin Cancer – Mayo Clinic