Duo's focus will be on skin cancer

The incidence of skin cancer seems to be increasing, perhaps in large part because it's a disease resulting from cumulative damage. Previous generations didn't know that sunshine can be hazardous.

Increased education about the risks and how to prevent sun damage may mean a sharp decrease in the incidence in the future, according to Dr. Karen Stolman, a dermatologist at Altaview Hospital and the Sandy IHC Health Clinic.

Skin cancer prevention and treatment are the topics for Saturday's Deseret Morning News/Intermountain Health Care Hotline. Stolman will be joined by Dr. C. David Hansen, acting chief of dermatology at LDS Hospital and an associate professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine. From 10 a.m. to noon, they'll take phoned-in questions.

Skin cancer is not uncommon in Utah, fueled by very strong northern European populations who have pale skin. Still, it's not as bad as the skin cancer rates seen in Australia among people who originated in the British Isles, Hansen said.

Knowledge has greatly improved in recent years, Stolman said. For instance, it's now understood that a child under 6 months should not be in direct sunlight at all and anyone older should be covered up, use sunscreen and avoid exposure during peak sunlight hours, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Hansen offers this guide: If your shadow is shorter than you are, "you are in the danger zone of when you shouldn't be out."

"The American Academy of Dermatology suggests you keep out of the sun rather than rely solely on sunscreen," Stolman said. "If you have to be out more than 15 minutes, use sunscreen."

The problem with sunscreen, Hansen said, is it may encourage people to stay out too long. And while they don't burn, they do absorb long UV rays, which can damage the skin cumulatively over time.

He likens relying solely on sunscreen to "using airbags without seat belts" in a car.

Harmful ultraviolet rays get through even on cloudy days, said Hansen. And it's worse at higher altitudes. For every 1,000 feet above sea level, ultraviolet exposure increases 7 percent. That means at Snowbird's peak, the ray exposure is 70 percent higher than at Malibu beach.

Other skin-protective practices when outdoors include wearing a broad-brimmed hat and light clothing that reflects, rather than absorbs light.