6 telling factors you’re at a greater risk of serious skin cancer

With one American dying every hour from skin cancer (source: American Cancer Society) there’s good reason to consider the factors that predict the most dangerous form of skin cancer, melanoma.

New York City Dermatologist and clinical professor Dr. Darrell Rigel has found 6 factors predictive of greater melanoma risk:

1. History of getting blistering sunburns as a teen
2. Red or blonde hair
3. Marked freckling of upper back
4. Family history of melanoma
5. History of Actinic Keratoses (AKs)
6. Outdoor summer jobs for 3  - 4 years as a teen

Currently there is no genetic screening for melanoma, so these factors are leading indicators of risk.  Other correlations with melanoma risk cited by the American Academy of Dermatology include:

• Breast cancer survivors have a 2-to-3 fold risk of melanoma
• Wealthier individuals, due to increased exposure to sun
• Use of tanning beds.  Watch the video for more information.

More information about melanoma is available at SkinCancerNet (www.skincarephysicians.com).

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