Dangerous skin cancer on the rise

The warm weather brings plenty for students to worry about, with finals and moving, but many aren’t aware of what else needs their attention this time of year.

Logan’s high elevation and current tanning trend are a dangerous combination for anyone susceptible to melanoma – the most deadly type of skin cancer, which the American Cancer Society says is on the rise.

Mike Johnson, an undeclared freshman, says he has been made all too aware of the effects and dangers of this disease. As a blonde-haired, blue-eyed Caucasian, Johnson said he always recognized he was in the high-risk category for skin cancer, but a case of melanoma in his family increased that risk even more while changing all of their lives.

“Eight years ago, my brother died of skin cancer at age 21, just two months after he came home from his mission,” Johnson said of his brother, Eric, who passed away in May ’99. “He was the darkest in the family and had dark hair, so that was a huge eye-opener. We’ve been super cautious since then.

But the family’s loss has helped them make a positive impact in spreading knowledge about this deadly but often ignored disease.

As a former Miss Utah, Mike’s sister, 26-year-old Natalie Camille Johnson, has become an advocate for skin cancer awareness through her platform and has raised millions of dollars for the cause, he said, noting she also created the official skin cancer awareness symbol – an orange ribbon with a sun in the middle.

“She was even invited to speak at the American Academy of Dermatologists,” he said. “I’ve been able to go with Natalie places and see what happens, what melanoma is and see how people really do suffer.

In a May 2006 story in Shape magazine, Natalie is featured for her work raising awareness of skin cancer and promoting skin safety tips.

“Most people don’t realize that too much sun exposure is the most preventable cause of melanoma, Natalie stated in Shape. “If you catch suspicious moles, which may be cancerous, early enough, you can prevent them from becoming cancerous.

When sun exposure isn’t always an option, many USU students turn to artificial sun for a quick tan this time of year.

Amy Butterworth of Logan’s Tanning Studio and Jessica Clawson of The Rage Hair and Tan said right now, along with the week before spring break, is the busiest time of the year for their businesses, with a record 225 customers tanning in just one day last month, Butterworth said.

But while faster than spending all day in the sun, this alternative does not prevent melanoma. Similar to the sun’s ultraviolet light, a tanning bed’s UV rays are concentrated and directly damage the skin, Johnson said.

“Everyone wants to get tan so fast – right now. “There are other alternatives to tanning, like sunless lotions, but you still need to wear sunscreen,” he said. “It is OK to get tan, but just safely and slowly.

Clawson didn’t have many suggestions for customers at risk for melanoma, but emphasized that “tanning to the extreme” is never a good choice.

“I would suggest definitely not going every day; once a week is enough,” she said. “And using lots of lotions. I don’t know if that helps prevent skin cancer, but at least it keeps your skin moisturized.

Butterworth agreed that keeping visits to a minimum and using lotions are good suggestions for customers susceptible to skin cancer, but also noted that tanning can help in avoiding more dangerous burns.

“It protects you,” she said. “If you already have a good base, you’re not going to get fried on vacation as soon as you go outside or go swimming.

In fact, the American Cancer Society (ACS) states on its Web site that a severe sunburn increases a person’s chances of developing skin cancer by 10 percent, so developing a base tan may be a good option for people planning to be in the sun.

But Johnson said the potential costs of tanning far outweigh the benefits.

“Skin cancer is one of the most painful forms of cancer since it is all over your skin,” he said. “I’d rather be a ghost and live longer than a brown, leathery sack and die.

Since the skin is the largest organ of the body, it is not surprising that cancer of the skin is the most common of all cancers, according to the ACS’s site. Melanoma is the least common but most deadly form of skin cancer, the ACS states, since it accounts for only about 4 percent of all cases, but about 79 percent of skin cancer deaths.

As the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 25-30 and the second most common cancer in women between 20 and 35, students need to be aware of the causes and warning signs of this disease.

“There are three easy indicators,” Johnson said of what to look for when checking moles and their changes. “See if there are any bigger than a pencil eraser, have jagged or uneven edges or any discoloration throughout it. If there are two of those signs on any one mole, a biopsy should be done.”

A biopsy, which is when a sample of a questionable mole is taken for testing, will show whether or not the cells are cancerous, he said, and is a great tool for preventing melanoma.

-lindsaykite@cc.usu.edu