Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer diagnosed in the U.S., and it is estimated that 1 in every 5 Americans will be diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their lives. Nearly 9 million cases of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (the two most common forms of skin cancer) will be treated in the U.S. this year alone.
Melanoma will be diagnosed an additional 87,000 times per year. Melanoma is thankfully a less common type of skin cancer, but it has the potential to be dangerous if not detected and treated early. The good news is that skin cancer can be treated quickly and with a high cure rate if it is caught early. You can reduce your risk of developing skin cancer if you protect yourself from the sun and avoid tanning beds. There are a lot of misconceptions regarding how to protect yourself against skin cancer, so I’m hoping to dispel some common myths.