May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

The physicians at Northwest Face would like to make you aware of some interesting statistics on sun exposure and of the Skin Cancer Foundation website.

One in five (!) Americans will get a skin cancer in their lifetime. At the same time, only one in three of us routinely uses sun protection and men are more likely to get skin cancer than women.

The most common skin cancers include basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

Early detection is the key to skin cancer treatment!
Use the ABCDE for Melanoma detection to identify suspicious moles:

A - asymmetry: moles that are not symmetric (one half is unlike the other half) are suspicious, since normal moles or freckles are symmetric
B - border: any mole or spot with jagged or blurry, irregular or poorly circumscribed edges is suspicious
C - color: any lightening or darkening of existing moles, or any mole that is more than one color (ie varies from one area to another) is suspicious
D - diameter: if a mole is larger then 6 mm (a pencil eraser), it needs to be examined by a doctor (this is independent of A,B or C). Melanomas may be smaller when diagnosed.
E - elevation and evolution: if a mole is raised above the surface or has an uneven surface, or if it changing, it is suspicious.

Uncommonly, melanoma can present as an itchy mole as well, and moles that bleed are also suspicious. Please come in soon if you think you have a mole that fits the above criteria.

Michelle Batson, MS, CCC-A, FAAA (yes, those are more letters than our doctors have) is offering free hearing screening in our Seattle office in Northgate. Michelle has put together some interesting facts on hearing loss and who is affected by it here.