TRI-CITIES, WA – Sometimes living in a sunny region, might have some negative effects if you don’t protect yourself properly.
According to the skin cancer foundation, having five or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma.
“Skin cancer is a big problem in the Tri-Cities,” said Sherry Zhao a Radiation Oncologist for Kadlec Tri-cities Cancer Center. “We have such beautiful weather, such sunny weather long days in the summer without a lot of overcasts and the main risk factor is sun exposure.”
According to the skin cancer foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by 70-years-old, that’s why you would want to protect yourself as much as possible.
“Luckily it is one of the cancers that is most easily preventable as well as most easily detectable,” said Zhao.
When I spoke to Deputy Brad Klippert from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office, he told me within the last few years he was able to catch an early detection of skin cancer.
“I had some significant concerns on my face,” said Deputy Klippert from the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and a member of the Washington State House of Representatives. “On the top of my head and most recently this year on my arms.”
Deputy Klippert told me when he went to the dermatologist, they told him he had a precancerous condition called Actinic keratoses. This is a rough, scaly patch on the skin that develops from years of sun exposure that left untreated could become cancerous.
Deputy Klippert told me when he was younger he never put on sunscreen.
“I think we all think we’re bulletproof sometimes and you want to be tan and you want to be attractive but I’m just glad that I found out in time,” said Deputy Klippert.
Zhao told me in your daily routine try to add sunscreen into that. It is recommended to get sunscreen with an SPF over 50 and reapply your sunscreen if you are outside every 80 to 90 minutes.
“You can get exposed to UV rays from cloud covers or inside your car too,” said Zhao. “Only the front windshield protects you from UV rays, the side ones don’t so we actually end up getting a lot of patients who get skin cancers mostly on one side of their body just depending on what side of the car they usually sit on.”
But the best way to protect your skin is to cover it.
“That actually does far more than the best sunscreen we have,” said Zhao. “For sunscreen, the major problem with sunscreen is that most people don’t use enough of it.”
Now Deputy Klippert told me he just wants to spread the message for everyone to protect themselves out in the sun because he caught his precancer before it turned into full-blown skin cancer.
“Be careful,” said Deputy Klippert. “There’s nothing worse than getting full-blown skin cancer.”
Zhao recommends for everyone see a dermatologist every 6 months to a year. If you have any concerns, there is no shame in scheduling a skin cancer screening.
Dermatologists:
In Tri-Cities
Kadlec Clinic – Plastic Surgery and Dermatology 104 Columbia Point Dr, Richland, WA 99352 509-942-3190
In Yakima:
Central Washington Dermatology & Cosmetics 3810 Kern Rd Suite D, Yakima, WA 98902 (509) 248-4303
