How preventing sunburn and knowing the warning signs can save you from skin cancer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Before you head outside for your next summer activity make sure you’re doing enough to protect you and your children’s skin from sunburn. Ignoring them can lead to skin cancer and sometimes death.

So don’t soak up too much sun this summer. Simply taking a few minutes to apply sunscreen can go a long way keeping you and your family cancer free for years to come and save your life.

A lack of access to sunscreen growing up and a lot of time outside is what Judy Egnatic believes led to her developing skin cancer.

“As a child I loved the sun growing up and I got really bad sunburns,” Egnatic said. “Back then there was no sunscreen or anything.”

So before splashing into the pool, or spending anytime outdoors, Judy and her physician, Dr. Bhaswaendh Dhanireddy with Advent Health Cancer Institute urge everyone to put on sunscreen now to avoid losing future summer fun to hospital appointments.

“Make sure you put on your sunscreen in the morning and re-apply when needed,” Egnatic advised. “Because it’s very important.”

“Using all protective gear, like sunscreens, hat, goggles, be in the shade whenever possible,” Dr. Dhanireddy added. “If not, use barrier creams.”

Dhanireddy warns if you ignore the warning signs and don’t seek treatment, they could become deadly. Research from the American Cancer Society shows 90 people in Kansas died from skin cancer in 2023 while 640 cases of it were active. Missouri lost 190 patients to it while treating 1,610 cases.

“Most of the skin cancers start as little new moles or if there is an existing mole it changes color or texture,” Dr. Dhanireddy said. “Or non-healing wounds for a long time those are the signs of skin cancer.”

The quicker you start treatment for skin cancer, the more likely you can recover and beat it. Even if you can’t handle surgery.

“We use a specialized radiation source using a device that comes close to the cancer and delivers radiation,” Dr. Dhanireddy said. “Just to that thickness of the lesion and goes out through the device. The success rate is 95%.”

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their life. That makes it the most common type of cancer people are diagnosed with.

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