The middle of fall might be the perfect time to check in with your board-certified dermatologist for your annual skin cancer exam. There is never an inconvenient time for observing this yearly event – or for beginning it if you have not done so already. Yet, the reason for October being the perfect time for your annual skin exam is that our season of heaviest sun exposure is behind us, for the moment. In addition, doing it now would be easier to schedule than when holidays and wedding season start to stack up our calendars.
That takes care of, “why now?” Let’s take a moment to better understand the importance of making an annual skin cancer exam part of your yearly self-care routine. Some of the reasons apply to Atlanta residents even more.
Time and Place
The duration of our exposure to the sun’s harmful UV radiation is extraordinary. Atlanta enjoys a year-round outdoor recreation season. It is a rare winter day, indeed, when Forsyth Park, the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and the Beltline that connects us all aren’t populated by runners, walkers, and strollers; by bikers and pram-pushers; and by picnickers and pedestrian commuters.
The directness of our exposure also puts us in the danger zone of UV radiation. We hesitate to mention it again, but we find it fascinating: Atlanta shares the same latitude as Casablanca. Few, if any, venture to the coast of North Africa without hats, sleeves, and sunscreen, and yet Atlanta residents all too often say, “none of the above.”
There is no doubt that Atlanta residents need an annual skin exam! Especially when you consider the national projections indicate that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by age 70. And that these national stats include millions of residents of places such as Madison, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, Minnesota, where people hook their cars up to electric engine block warmers overnight and watch the evening news religiously, just to see if they will be able to venture out the front door in the morning.
High Stakes
Consider that skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer there is, the most widespread cancer danger of all, and at the same time, it is the most preventable if precautions are taken. Those precautions include proper attire, monitoring time of day to regulate our sun exposure, using sunscreen– and getting every inch of skin examined by a professional regularly. Frankly, once a year is barely enough, but for many folks, it would be such an improvement that we’ll shoot for annual.
Factor into your consideration the fact that early detection is the No. 1 element in successful skin cancer treatment. There are several different forms of skin cancer, and most of them respond well to treatment. One form, melanoma, is pernicious and comparatively resistant to treatment. And yet all forms, even melanoma, count early detection as a key factor for success in the treatment. To put it bluntly, survival is the nature of the stakes.
Along with the many blessings we enjoy as Atlanta residents, there is this important payback. An annual skin cancer exam is even more important here than in most cities. Thankfully, the resources for protecting yourself against the threats of skin cancer are advanced here, too. Give us a call and let’s get your annual skin cancer exam on the calendar – and let’s keep it there every year.