Physician Warns About Skin Cancer Risk

DANBURY — Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer and is associated with prolonged damage from the sun. If detected early enough, skin cancer is highly treatable.

Dr Beth Buscher, attending physician in the Danbury Hospital Department of Medicine, Section of Dermatology and practicing physician at Dermatology Associates of Western Connecticut, spoke of the impact of sun exposure, protection techniques, and skin cancer treatments at “Sun Facts — The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” a recent Medical Town Meeting sponsored by Danbury Hospital.

Suntans, although thought to be one of the most important aspects of summer, are signs of skin damage. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer due to sun exposure. Sun damage more easily affects pale to average skinned people who will typically burn easily.

Eighty percent of new skin cancers will occur on the head and neck or other various areas with the most direct sun exposure. Despite a very high cure rate of early-detected skin cancers, there is a 40 percent chance of developing an additional cancer.

More advanced skin cancers can be treated by burning, freezing, surgical removal, and chemotherapy. Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, but is still curable if caught early. Once it spreads, it is harder to treat. It makes up four percent of all skin cancers and 80 percent of all skin cancer deaths.

Melanoma is also the fastest growing cancer in the United States and has the potential to develop anywhere on the body. Melanoma can be detected by noticeable skin anomalies that are asymmetrical, have irregular borders, various colors, and larger than average in diameter.

One of the best protections available is broad-spectrum sunscreen which blocks both UVA and UVB rays. Alternatively, traditional sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 prevents sun damage for several hours.  

For more information, visit the hospital website at www.danburyhospital.org.