Who Should Get Regular Skin Cancer Checks and How Often

Any discussion about skin cancers should start with this important fact: 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

Now let’s look at some more encouraging statistics — despite 5.5 million diagnoses each year, skin cancers claim less than 15,000 lives. This is due to several factors, and awareness and regular skin checks are certainly a part of the success picture.

Since May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month, the team of board-certified dermatologists at Dermatology Associates of Western Pennsylvania wants to discuss this important topic and how you can protect yourself through education and regular skin checks.

Skin cancers in brief

Skin cancer is really a category that includes different types of cancers, including the top three:

• Basal cell carcinoma, which accounts for 8 out of 10 skin cancers
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Melanoma, which will be diagnosed in about 112,000 Americans in 2026

While melanomas only account for about 1% of skin cancers, they are responsible for most skin cancer deaths.

Risk factors for skin cancer

Now, let’s spend a moment discussing risk factors for skin cancer, which can influence how often you should screen through skin checks. 

It’s important to note that skin cancers develop due to exposure to harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun, as well as from artificial sources such as tanning beds and sun lamps.

So, sun exposure is a key risk factor that applies to most of us, but the level of exposure depends on your use of sun protection and where you live. 

Outside of sun exposure, other risk factors for skin cancers include:

• Age, which increases your sun exposure risk
• Personal history of skin cancer
• Family history of skin cancer
• Having fair skin 
• Having skin that develops hyperpigmentation and moles easily
• Having a history of sunburns or sun tanning

Again, the biggest influence is sun exposure. So, anyone who’s consistently exposed to UV rays is at risk, no matter whether they check the boxes for any other risk factors.

The ABCDEs of skin cancer and regular screening

Any time you can screen for something as potentially dangerous as cancer, it’s an effort that’s well worth your while.

When it comes to skin cancer, screening comes down to regular skin checks. Your skin is your body’s largest organ. It covers an average of 16-22 square feet, which means there’s a lot to inspect. 

While we advise patients to perform regular skin checks on their own, you can’t see everything, and you might not notice a potential problem the way that we can.

Our team is well versed in the field of skin cancers, and we know what we’re looking for — the ABCDE warning signs: 

• A — moles that are asymmetrical
• B — moles that have uneven borders
• C — moles that have unusual and uneven colorations
• D — moles that increase in diameter 
• E — moles that are evolving, which means there are changes in the mole’s appearance

There’s a lot of gray area in these descriptions, but we have the expertise to distinguish potentially problematic moles or precancerous skin lesions, such as actinic keratosis, from benign variations.

While we recommend screening every year or two for most people, the right schedule for each patient is best determined on a case-by-case basis, given the various factors. 

To figure out which skin cancer testing schedule is best for your circumstances, or to schedule this important screening, please book an appointment at our office in Coraopolis, Pennsylvania, by calling 412-262-1064.