The Christian County Health Department is putting the word out about an often less thought of cancer during the month of May, which is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.
During a quarterly lunch and learn at the Housing Authority on Elm Street Friday, Dermatologist Dr. Tanner Parrent warned about the dangers of skin cancer, saying it is easily to most common form of cancer, with 1 in 5 people contracting it in their lifetime.
Dr. Parrent says the cancer is caused by sun damage from overexposure to UV light, and tanning beds can increase your chance of getting skin cancer by 55 percent.
He urges everyone, especially those with light to fair skin tones, to wear sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher whenever you will be exposed to the sun for any extended amount of time. He says there a three types of skin cancers—basal cell, squamous cell and melanoma—and he says people of all skin types and races can have any of these cancers.
Dr. Parrent says to protect your skin and if you think you may have a spot that could be cancerous, contact your doctor as soon as possible, because most skin cancers caught early can be treated.