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Protect Yourself Against Skin Cancer
Dr. Gina Weir outlines the 3 main types of skin cancer, the early warning signs, and preventative measures to take to prevent skin cancer from developing.
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Learn more about Gina Weir, MD
Gina Weir, MD
Dr. Gina Weir is originally from Lincoln, NE where she attended Pius X High School. She then went to Nebraska Wesleyan University for her undergraduate education where she received a degree in biology with minors in chemistry and psychology. While at Nebraska Wesleyan, she was a combined five-time NCAA All-American runner in cross country and track. She graduated in 2006 and received the “Gold Key” award from Wesleyan for being the top student in her graduating class.Learn more about Gina Weir, MD
Transcription:
Protect Yourself Against Skin Cancer
Intro: At Bryan Health, we care for patients. Educate tomorrow's health care providers motivate our community with fitness and health programs and collaborate to continually improve how we serve others. That's why we are proud to present another Bryan Health podcast.
Caitlin Whyte: Welcome to the Bryan health podcast. I'm Caitlin Whyte.
And today we are discussing skincare and skin cancer in honor of skin cancer awareness month with Dr. Gina Weir, a dermatologist at dermatology associates of Lincoln. So Dr. Weir, what is skin cancer awareness month? And what is its purpose?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, skin cancer awareness month is always the month of May, May 4th in particular is referred to as melanoma Monday. And this is the perfect time of year to raise awareness because this is when the weather's starting to get warm, the sun is shining. Most people are just itching to get outdoors after a long winter. So there's a lot of people on the bike trails and doing other activities outside the hopes to get the public, to practice safe sun behavior, as well as to encourage people to perform regular skin exams and to seek the advice of a board certified dermatologist if they have any concerns regarding their skin
Caitlin Whyte: Now, what are the different types of skin cancer and what are some signs that may indicate a skin cancer?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, there are three main types of skin cancer that we see on a regular basis. There are a couple more, but those are pretty rare. So the most common type is basal cell carcinoma. And this is often going to appear as a pearly looking raised bump. Often pimple-like that never seems to heal. Usually it's in the sun exposed area of like the face or neck, for example, it may bleed occasionally. So when you're wiping your face with a towel, something's bleeding a little bit, that might be a concerning sign.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the next type and that is typically a red scaly patch or a tender bump that can be very scaly and tender to the touch. Finally, melanoma is what people typically hear about, but it's not as common as the other two. It's usually a new dark spot that may be irregular shape, color texture. The overall point is if you notice something new that's on your skin, that seems different than the others or something that's changing or itching or bleeding, you should see us for an examination.
Caitlin Whyte: For melanomas in particular, what is an easy way to remember the red flags that this might be one?
Dr. Gina Weir: So we often tell patients about the ABCDEs of melanoma and what those stand for - A is for asymmetry, which means if you cut something in half, one half, doesn't look like the other. B stands for borders, so this just means irregular borders are ill-defined like you can't quite see where it starts and stops, or it's a funny looking shape. C is for color. One spot that might have multiple colors within it, such as different shades of brown or black or blue, sometimes that we see. D is for diameter, so a majority of melanomas are greater than six millimeters, which is the size of a pencil head eraser. But that doesn't mean that smaller spots can't be melanoma as well.And then E is one that some people might not have heard of, which is evolving. And that means a mole that's changing in size, shape, or color. So those are all worrisome signs for skin cancer.
Caitlin Whyte: Now, if I am diagnosed with skin cancer, can it be cured?
Dr. Gina Weir: For the most part, yes. A majority of skin cancers are treated with excision, which means tissues removed and the area is sutured up to close it. Pathology is then used to look at the margins to make sure all the cancer is gone depending on what type of skin cancer it is. There are some less aggressive types or more superficial types, and those can be treated even as simply, sometimes as a topical treatment. Or we can even scrape the tissue, which is less aggressive and excising it.
But then there are more aggressive types of cancers. So for example, a deeper melanoma or melanoma that's been growing for a while. If those get to be to a certain depth in the skin, we have to send the patient off to surgery because we have to get their lymph nodes removed and checked as well. But overall, the best thing is to get spot checks sooner than later, so that they can be treated, you know, as soon as they're noticed on the skin.
Caitlin Whyte: So with all this talk and awareness, how common is skin cancer?
Dr. Gina Weir: It is very common. As a matter of fact, it is the most common cancer overall in the U.S. and it represents half of all cancers in humans. More people develop skin cancer because of tanning bed use than those that develop lung cancer due to smoking, which is interesting. So one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, which goes up to one in three for Caucasians. So it's very, very common.
Caitlin Whyte: You mentioned Caucasians are at a higher risk. Can you tell us more about that?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, when you talk about who is at higher risk of developing skin cancer, you know, very fair skin is one of the main risk factors for developing skin cancer. So going through the risk factors overall, the main risk factors would be skin that burns easily. So very fair skin people, those with blonde or red hair, a history of excessive sun exposure in the past. So that includes tanning bed use or history of multiple sunburns. And then those that are on immune suppressing medications or have immune suppressing diseases puts you at higher risk of skin cancers as well. But specifically talking about melanoma risk factors that include people that have more than 50 moles on their body. So if you're a very moly person, it might be a good idea to have a skin check. And then in general, Caucasian men, older than 50, have a higher rate of melanoma than the general population.
Caitlin Whyte: You mentioned tanning beds. So how does that factor into someone's risk?
Dr. Gina Weir: That's a good question, especially because tanning beds still are popular and they were popular in the last, you know, 10 to 20 years. So any exposure, unfortunately, to tanning beds before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75%. So that's a big increase in risk just with any history of tanning beds. In regards to sunburn, just one blistering sunburn in childhood doubles melanoma risk. The important thing is that I tell my patients every day, exposure to the sun is cumulative. So I always remind parents it's super important to protect their kids from the sun and teach them about sun-safe behavior, because most people get the most sun damage in the first 10 to 20 years of life. It's very important to protect our kids when they're young from getting sunburns.
Caitlin Whyte: So like you mentioned with summer on the way we still want to get outside, what are some ways to practice safe sun?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, there are several things a person can do to practice good sun behavior. First, you know, seek shade. So try to stay under trees, umbrellas or whatever else provides a barrier from direct sunlight. If you're going on a sunny vacation, just try to think about using umbrellas and things like that on the beach. Second wear protective clothing. I really love SPF rash guard, shirts and hats and things like that is an excellent way to prevent sun damage.
I always tell families, try to get hats for all family members for outdoor activities, especially those hats that have a four inch brim around the whole hat because it protects your ears. And so when everybody's going outside to play, it's important to make sure everybody throws a hat on. And of course applying sunscreen, generously.
So sunscreen should be a minimum SPF 30 or greater. Ideally it's an even higher SPF, you know, 50-100 and have it be broad spectrum, water resistant, especially if you're doing pool or beach play. And it's important to know it should take about a full shot glass of sunscreen to cover an adult properly. A lot of times people don't use enough sunscreen and to get through the summer with just one bottle of sunscreen. That means they're not using it properly. So you should need to buy several bottles of sunscreen, even just for one person throughout the summer. And you should reapply every two hours if you're going to be outside all day.
Caitlin Whyte: Besides sunscreen. Are there any like natural supplements we can use to protect our skin?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, patients ask me that occasionally and aside from regular use of sunscreen, I often tell my patients to use a vitamin C and E serum or moisturizer in the morning because this does help reduce oxidative damage from free radicals generated by UV light. So a lot of times I say in the morning, you should apply a vitamin C serum first and let that dry put sunscreen on second and then put on makeup or just leave it. And as far as supplements go, there's an interesting supplement over the counter. It's called Heliocare, and it's actually made from something called polypodium, leucotomos, and it's derived from a fern in Central and South America. Taking this supplement actually helps protect the skin against free radicals as well. So many dermatologists recommend taking it daily, or you could just take it in the summer when you're outside more or take it with you on vacation and it'll help protect you more than just doing the normal sunscreen and shade.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, such an important conversation, not only for skin cancer awareness month, but especially as we head into spring and summer. I mean, sunscreen is important all year long. Well, thank you so much for this information Dr. Weir. And many thanks to our Bryan Foundation partner Davis Design. And that wraps up this episode of the Bryan Health podcast. Head on over to our website at bryanhealth.org for more information, and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all of the other Bryan Health podcasts.
I'm Caitlin Whyte stay well.
Protect Yourself Against Skin Cancer
Intro: At Bryan Health, we care for patients. Educate tomorrow's health care providers motivate our community with fitness and health programs and collaborate to continually improve how we serve others. That's why we are proud to present another Bryan Health podcast.
Caitlin Whyte: Welcome to the Bryan health podcast. I'm Caitlin Whyte.
And today we are discussing skincare and skin cancer in honor of skin cancer awareness month with Dr. Gina Weir, a dermatologist at dermatology associates of Lincoln. So Dr. Weir, what is skin cancer awareness month? And what is its purpose?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, skin cancer awareness month is always the month of May, May 4th in particular is referred to as melanoma Monday. And this is the perfect time of year to raise awareness because this is when the weather's starting to get warm, the sun is shining. Most people are just itching to get outdoors after a long winter. So there's a lot of people on the bike trails and doing other activities outside the hopes to get the public, to practice safe sun behavior, as well as to encourage people to perform regular skin exams and to seek the advice of a board certified dermatologist if they have any concerns regarding their skin
Caitlin Whyte: Now, what are the different types of skin cancer and what are some signs that may indicate a skin cancer?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, there are three main types of skin cancer that we see on a regular basis. There are a couple more, but those are pretty rare. So the most common type is basal cell carcinoma. And this is often going to appear as a pearly looking raised bump. Often pimple-like that never seems to heal. Usually it's in the sun exposed area of like the face or neck, for example, it may bleed occasionally. So when you're wiping your face with a towel, something's bleeding a little bit, that might be a concerning sign.
Squamous cell carcinoma is the next type and that is typically a red scaly patch or a tender bump that can be very scaly and tender to the touch. Finally, melanoma is what people typically hear about, but it's not as common as the other two. It's usually a new dark spot that may be irregular shape, color texture. The overall point is if you notice something new that's on your skin, that seems different than the others or something that's changing or itching or bleeding, you should see us for an examination.
Caitlin Whyte: For melanomas in particular, what is an easy way to remember the red flags that this might be one?
Dr. Gina Weir: So we often tell patients about the ABCDEs of melanoma and what those stand for - A is for asymmetry, which means if you cut something in half, one half, doesn't look like the other. B stands for borders, so this just means irregular borders are ill-defined like you can't quite see where it starts and stops, or it's a funny looking shape. C is for color. One spot that might have multiple colors within it, such as different shades of brown or black or blue, sometimes that we see. D is for diameter, so a majority of melanomas are greater than six millimeters, which is the size of a pencil head eraser. But that doesn't mean that smaller spots can't be melanoma as well.And then E is one that some people might not have heard of, which is evolving. And that means a mole that's changing in size, shape, or color. So those are all worrisome signs for skin cancer.
Caitlin Whyte: Now, if I am diagnosed with skin cancer, can it be cured?
Dr. Gina Weir: For the most part, yes. A majority of skin cancers are treated with excision, which means tissues removed and the area is sutured up to close it. Pathology is then used to look at the margins to make sure all the cancer is gone depending on what type of skin cancer it is. There are some less aggressive types or more superficial types, and those can be treated even as simply, sometimes as a topical treatment. Or we can even scrape the tissue, which is less aggressive and excising it.
But then there are more aggressive types of cancers. So for example, a deeper melanoma or melanoma that's been growing for a while. If those get to be to a certain depth in the skin, we have to send the patient off to surgery because we have to get their lymph nodes removed and checked as well. But overall, the best thing is to get spot checks sooner than later, so that they can be treated, you know, as soon as they're noticed on the skin.
Caitlin Whyte: So with all this talk and awareness, how common is skin cancer?
Dr. Gina Weir: It is very common. As a matter of fact, it is the most common cancer overall in the U.S. and it represents half of all cancers in humans. More people develop skin cancer because of tanning bed use than those that develop lung cancer due to smoking, which is interesting. So one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, which goes up to one in three for Caucasians. So it's very, very common.
Caitlin Whyte: You mentioned Caucasians are at a higher risk. Can you tell us more about that?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, when you talk about who is at higher risk of developing skin cancer, you know, very fair skin is one of the main risk factors for developing skin cancer. So going through the risk factors overall, the main risk factors would be skin that burns easily. So very fair skin people, those with blonde or red hair, a history of excessive sun exposure in the past. So that includes tanning bed use or history of multiple sunburns. And then those that are on immune suppressing medications or have immune suppressing diseases puts you at higher risk of skin cancers as well. But specifically talking about melanoma risk factors that include people that have more than 50 moles on their body. So if you're a very moly person, it might be a good idea to have a skin check. And then in general, Caucasian men, older than 50, have a higher rate of melanoma than the general population.
Caitlin Whyte: You mentioned tanning beds. So how does that factor into someone's risk?
Dr. Gina Weir: That's a good question, especially because tanning beds still are popular and they were popular in the last, you know, 10 to 20 years. So any exposure, unfortunately, to tanning beds before the age of 35 increases the risk of melanoma by 75%. So that's a big increase in risk just with any history of tanning beds. In regards to sunburn, just one blistering sunburn in childhood doubles melanoma risk. The important thing is that I tell my patients every day, exposure to the sun is cumulative. So I always remind parents it's super important to protect their kids from the sun and teach them about sun-safe behavior, because most people get the most sun damage in the first 10 to 20 years of life. It's very important to protect our kids when they're young from getting sunburns.
Caitlin Whyte: So like you mentioned with summer on the way we still want to get outside, what are some ways to practice safe sun?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, there are several things a person can do to practice good sun behavior. First, you know, seek shade. So try to stay under trees, umbrellas or whatever else provides a barrier from direct sunlight. If you're going on a sunny vacation, just try to think about using umbrellas and things like that on the beach. Second wear protective clothing. I really love SPF rash guard, shirts and hats and things like that is an excellent way to prevent sun damage.
I always tell families, try to get hats for all family members for outdoor activities, especially those hats that have a four inch brim around the whole hat because it protects your ears. And so when everybody's going outside to play, it's important to make sure everybody throws a hat on. And of course applying sunscreen, generously.
So sunscreen should be a minimum SPF 30 or greater. Ideally it's an even higher SPF, you know, 50-100 and have it be broad spectrum, water resistant, especially if you're doing pool or beach play. And it's important to know it should take about a full shot glass of sunscreen to cover an adult properly. A lot of times people don't use enough sunscreen and to get through the summer with just one bottle of sunscreen. That means they're not using it properly. So you should need to buy several bottles of sunscreen, even just for one person throughout the summer. And you should reapply every two hours if you're going to be outside all day.
Caitlin Whyte: Besides sunscreen. Are there any like natural supplements we can use to protect our skin?
Dr. Gina Weir: Well, patients ask me that occasionally and aside from regular use of sunscreen, I often tell my patients to use a vitamin C and E serum or moisturizer in the morning because this does help reduce oxidative damage from free radicals generated by UV light. So a lot of times I say in the morning, you should apply a vitamin C serum first and let that dry put sunscreen on second and then put on makeup or just leave it. And as far as supplements go, there's an interesting supplement over the counter. It's called Heliocare, and it's actually made from something called polypodium, leucotomos, and it's derived from a fern in Central and South America. Taking this supplement actually helps protect the skin against free radicals as well. So many dermatologists recommend taking it daily, or you could just take it in the summer when you're outside more or take it with you on vacation and it'll help protect you more than just doing the normal sunscreen and shade.
Caitlin Whyte: Well, such an important conversation, not only for skin cancer awareness month, but especially as we head into spring and summer. I mean, sunscreen is important all year long. Well, thank you so much for this information Dr. Weir. And many thanks to our Bryan Foundation partner Davis Design. And that wraps up this episode of the Bryan Health podcast. Head on over to our website at bryanhealth.org for more information, and to get connected with one of our providers. Please remember to subscribe, rate and review this podcast and all of the other Bryan Health podcasts.
I'm Caitlin Whyte stay well.