LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Many look forward to sunshine after a long winter. However, medical experts say exposure to the sun brings risks, including melanoma, a type of skin cancer.
According to Dr. H.L. Greenberg, founder of Las Vegas Dermatology, melanoma is the most aggressive form of screen cancer.
“People do go into the pool here a lot to get out of the heat, and the sun is attracted to them,” said Dr. Greenberg. “Being out in the water amplifies that exposure they get.”
Dr. Greenberg said he finds melanoma in at least two patients per month. However, he said finding the cancer isn’t a death sentence.
“If you catch them early, your chances of living are fantastic,” he said, advising those who notice changes in their skin to go to their dermatologist as soon as possible.
According to the American Cancer Society, 5 million people in the United States are diagnosed with skin cancer annually, making it the most common form. With approximately 300 days of sunshine each year, experts estimate that 800 Nevadans will be diagnosed with skin cancer in 2023.
Dr. Greenberg advises regular sunscreen use, preferably kinds that use titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone, and oxybenzone, for his patients and routine checkups, even if skin cancer doesn’t run in patients’ families.
