One person dies from melanoma every hour.
Dr. Timothy Pearson with Anne Arundel Dermatology joins us to set us straight about skin cancer. Dr. Pearson talks about some risk factors for melanoma that you may not know.
Dr. Pearson is still in the early stages of his career, but says he has seen an increase in a number of melanoma diagnosis, from a wide range – young people to old.
He reminds us that we need to be careful when outside, whether it’s sunny or overcast, and he tells us about tanning bed risks.
The symptoms they tell patients about are the ABCDE of Moles:
- A – Asymmetry; anything you cannot cut in half and the halves match up
- B – Border; you don’t want to see scalloped border
- C – Color; moles should be one uniform color, not two different colors on the same mole
- D – Diameter; anything bigger than 6mm (the size of a pencil eraser) should raise concern
- E – Evolution; changing, growing, bleeding or itching
Sunscreens that are SPF 30 or above is something to look for and Dr. Pearson says it is up to the person what style to use such as a spray or a lotion – all will work the same as long as reapplied every two hours.
Dr. Pearson is excited to keep Delmarva informed about skin cancer and he would like everyone to know there will be a skin cancer race in May in Kent Island. “Strides Against Skin Cancer,” will benefit The Skin Cancer Foundation’s education, prevention, and treatment efforts.
Also, as of February 26th, you’ll find Anne Arundel Dermatology at a new location 9948 North Main Street Berlin, Maryland.
