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Skin cancer touches ‘one out of every five Americans’

By Harry Funk staff Writer hfunk@thealmanac.Net 5 min read
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You might remember the episode of “Seinfeld” in which Jerry disparages a dermatologist’s medical specialty, only to realize she helps save the lives of people who have skin cancer.

Perhaps public awareness has improved over the past two decades, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States today.

Harry Funk / The Almanac

Harry Funk / The Almanac

Dr. Christie Regula

“The statistic now is one out of every five Americans will be diagnosed with a skin cancer,” Dr. Christie Regula said. “That’s of all skin cancers, and increasingly, there have been higher diagnoses of melanoma, which is the deadliest. Unfortunately, every hour someone dies of melanoma in America.”

Exposure to the sun is a prime culprit, and Regula, a dermatologist in the Scott Township office of Vujevich Dermatology Associates, cites the effects of an aging population as a cause of the uptick.

“Part of it is that the baby-boomer generation is now in their 60s and 70s, and it does take time for that sun damage to show up. The number of people who tell me every day that they used baby oil and iodine when they were in their 20s is unbelievable,” she said about the once-popular practice that produces a dark tan but does little to screen the sun.

For younger people, the use of indoor tanning methods such as beds or sun lamps increases exposure to ultraviolet rays, which in turn can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Once a frequent tanner, Peters Township resident and South Fayette Township High School teacher Jessica Rogowicz learned of the possible consequences when she was diagnosed with melanoma when she was 24.

“It’s similar to other forms of cancer in that if it’s caught early, it can be very curable. By the time you start to have symptoms of feeling sick or things like that, then that’s where it’s going to be possibly in much more advanced stages,” she explained. “Ultimately, that’s why I am here today, because of early detection.”

As a co-founder of the Pittsburgh Melanoma Foundation, she continues to help promote awareness of skin-related diseases. Through a grant from FedEx, the nonprofit has launched a series of public service announcements, with Rogowicz sharing her story in the initial effort.

“There are just so many different stories and different experiences with sun exposure,” she said, cautioning: “You don’t have to be a young girl who goes tanning all the time in order to get this.”

Warning signs

She joins Regula in encouraging regular skin screenings, during which dermatologists check from head to toe, including parts of the body that are not easily seen.

“We always encourage people to do self skin exams, too,” Regula said. “With non-melanoma skin cancers” – the two most common are the benign basal-cell and squamous-cell carcinomas – “what you’re looking for is a spot on your skin that just won’t heal. It might look like a pimple, be a little sore, bleeding, but just doesn’t go away, or even a pink, scaly patch that is persistent.”

Regarding melanoma, dermatologists have developed an “ABCDE” system for detection: asymmetrical lesions, borders that irregular, multiple colors, diameter of more than the size of a pencil eraser, and evolution, changes in size and/or color.

As far as prevention, a key is use of sunscreen, and plenty of it.

“You really have to apply it every hour and a half to two hours, even if you’re not swimming or sweating. It’s just not chemically stable for longer than that,” Regula explained. “And you have to use enough. If you’re going to put it on your whole body, it’s an ounce and a half, which is about the size of a shot glass. So it’s a lot more than people think.”

Sun Smart Pittsburgh’s complimentary sunscreen dispensers are headed for area parks.

To help provide more access to sunscreen for people who are outdoors, she joined Dr. Justin Vujevich in founding Sun Smart Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that provides complimentary sunscreen dispensers. Starting with Mt. Lebanon Park, in the municipality where Regula lives, the program has expanded to include 20 Pittsburgh public parks this year.

Sun Smart Pittsburgh has a fundraising event planned from 5:30 to 8 p.m. May 31, the final day of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco in Downtown Pittsburgh.

The organization also takes dispensers to community events, including the seventh annual Pittsburgh Melanoma Foundation 5k Run/Walk, scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m. June 16 along Corrigan Drive in South Park. Rogowicz reports an exceptionally strong turnout of registrants so far.

For more information, visit melanomapgh.org and www.sunsmartpgh.org.

A supportive team participates in a past Pittsburgh Melanoma Foundation 5k Run/Walk in South Park.

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