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SALT LAKE CITY — Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, but it’s also one of the more preventable.
Utah has the highest or second-highest rate of cancerous melanoma in the country, depending on the year, according to Intermountain Healthcare physician Tawnya Bowles.
Utah’s light-skinned population is at a higher risk for cancerous melanoma.
“That skin type is the most vulnerable to skin cancers,” Bowles said. “But it’s also due to the elevation, exposure to sun during activities people do in Utah.”
Bowles added all Utah residents should wear sunscreen on a regular basis. Sunscreens labeled with an SPF of 30 or higher block 97 percent of the sun’s rays — anything higher will only marginally change sun blockage, within a couple percentage points, Bowles said.
“It isn’t worth spending two or three times the amount (of money),” she added.
No sunscreen will work effectively if it’s not on the skin.
“It needs to be worn routinely and it needs to be re-applied every two hours,” Bowles said. “If they’re in the water, though, it might even be less than that. The water resistance is listed on the label, and the highest you can buy is for 80 minutes.”
Avoiding sun exposure during the brightest hours of the day. Skin cancer is highly treatable if caught early, and physicians recommend regular self checks, as well as annual doctor examinations.
“A change in the color, the shape or size of the mole is an important clue that there could be a skin cancer,” Bowles said. “Or a spot that starts to itch or bleed that hasn’t ever itched or bled before.”
