LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As people spend more time outdoors this summer, health officials are encouraging people to protect their skin against the sun.

The Skin Cancer Foundation reports 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. Dr. Jason Chesney, Director of UofL Health Brown Cancer Center and Chief Administrative Officer of the UofL Health Oncology Service Line, recommends people use precautions to limit sun exposure.

While melanoma accounts for around 1% of skin cancers, it causes a large majority of skin cancer deaths, according to the American Cancer Society. The rates of melanoma have been rising rapidly over the past few decades. 

Chesney said there is a direct correlation between the number of sunburns a person gets before the age of 25 and their risk of getting melanoma. So how dangerous can a single sunburn be?

"There have been epidemiological studies that have demonstrated that a single sunburn can increase your risk of developing not just benign skin cancers like squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma, but also melanoma, which can be metastatic and can lead to death," Chesney said. "So, avoiding sunburns is really essential to not just maintain the health of your skin, but also to prevent a lethal type of cancer."

1 in 5 Americans develop skin cancer by the age of 70, according to Skin Cancer Foundation.

Around 8,000 people are expected to die of melanoma this year, according to the American Cancer Society. The risk of melanoma increases as people age, with 65 as the average age of people diagnosed. But are doctors seeing an increase in younger patients diagnosed with the cancer?

"We're seeing more and more individuals in their 20s and 30s getting stage 4 melanoma, we're finding these individuals have a much more aggressive form of melanoma," Chesney said. "This spike of young-aged individuals getting melanoma is very scary because it's a very difficult disease at that age. We tend to see more deaths at those younger ages." 

While sunburn can increase a person's risk for skin-related cancers, it can also damage skin at a cellular level, which can prematurely age skin.

"Not only can it damage the DNA that's essential for the stem cells in your skin to make sure that your skin doesn't become wrinkly at an earlier age than it would otherwise, but also it causes damage to the direct crosslinking of the collagens that maintain the tone in the skin," Chesney said. "If you want to maintain a youthful appearance into your 50s and 60s, the best way to do that is to make sure that you don't get too much exposure."

There are proper ways to take preventive steps to protect skin. Chesney recommends people apply sunscreen an hour before going out into the sun. 

"I hear this all the time 'I went out, I put SPF 50 on and I still got burned,'" Chesney said. "What happened was they went to the beach, they sat down and they started smearing it about. Well it has to absorb into the skin to work."

Besides sunscreen, doctors encourage outdoor lovers to wear sun-protective clothing that covers arms and legs, along with hats that can protect the face, ears and neck. Natural shade or umbrellas can also limit sun exposure.

"It's all about moderation, a little bit of sun is good for vitamin D levels, but if you're going to be out there for three or four hours cooking yourself, you're really going to have to get some sun coverage," Chesney said.

"Otherwise you're going to roast your skin and increase your risk of getting melanoma and other skin cancers." 

Tanning beds aren't any safer than the sun, according to the American Academy of Dermatology Association. Chesney said tanning beds deliver ultraviolet radiation directly to a person's skin.

"It is the ultraviolet radiation that damages DNA in the skin, and that's where melanocytes reside, and those melanocytes, when that damage occurs, can transform into melanoma cells that can then spread throughout the rest of your body," Chesney said. "It's very much like smoking a pack a day of cigarettes for decades, getting into a tanning bed once a week."

People can self-exam themselves for melanoma by using the acronym ABCDE: A for asymmetry, a spot that's not the same on either side of the circle. B for border, a spot that has an irregular border, C for color, a spot that is varying in color. D for diameter, a spot that's about the size or bigger than a pencil eraser. E for evolution, a spot that is changing in size, shape or color.

Chesney recommends patients see a dermatologist if a spot is concerning.

"If it's caught early, it's just a simple surgery," Chesney. "But if a few millimeters of growth going deep translates into patients needing a year of immunotherapy. Obviously if it spreads inside you, it becomes potentially fatal."

When melanoma is detected early, the five-year survival rate is 99%, according to Skin Cancer Foundation. Melanoma can spread throughout the body, most commonly places to the lungs, brain and liver. 

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