In the US population as a whole, sun damage is the major driver of the increase in skin cancer in general and the accelerator of aging of the skin. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. More people are diagnosed with skin cancer each year than all other cancers combined! The American Academy of Dermatology estimates that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
Skin cancer can metastasize and kill. Its treatment can be disfiguring especially on exposed parts of the body which get a lot of sun damage. Aging of the skin is also accelerated by sun damage. That golden tan we aspire to can result in leathery and wrinkly skin as we get older. Think ahead…. and protect yourself reasonably.
Our guest, Dr. Jeffrey Schneider, MD dermatologist and researcher, served at Kaiser Permanente in Northern California for over thirty years and was Chief of Dermatology. He is now Associate Professor in Dermatology at the University of California San Francisco, completing research and public education projects on sun protection.
In this interview, Dr. Schneider discusses the basic mechanisms of damage for each kind of cancer and simple steps of sensible sun protection which can help reduce risk. We can have fun in the sun when we respect the limitations of exposure and take easy precautions. Download Dr. Schneider’s sun protection TIPS at https://bit.ly/GTHsunsafety