Melanoma Day: What is the photo-consciousness and how can it save your life

Melanomas are the type more serious and aggressive skin cancer, whose incidence continues to increase. The lack of information on prevention and risk factors is one of the leading causes generating hundreds of cases each year. they could be avoided.

Skin cancer is due to the development of cancer cells in either layer of the epidermis. In addition to melanomas, there are also basal cell and squamous cell carcinomaswhich are more frequent and with a better prognosis.

May Day is May 23rd, a day to raise awareness of the importance of preventing this disease. In the majority of cases, skin cancer is preventable and curable if it is detected in time and appropriate precautions are taken.

In particular, if it is detected early, Melanoma can be cured by more than 80% cases.

According to the latest estimates from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), Argentina has an incidence rate of 212 cases per 100,000, which is considered medium-high and ranks seventh in Latin America.

To reduce the risk of the onset of this disease, the most important is to have photo-consciousnessit is to say that the sun is the cause of 9 out of 10 cases of skin cancer and act accordingly.

The skin permanently absorbs the ultraviolet radiation that the sun emits throughout the life. Most of the exposure comes from the star, although some can occur in artificial sources, such as tanning booths and solar lights. Therefore, it is necessary reduce contact with UV rays.

Photoconcept is composed of integrate healthy habits of exposure to ultraviolet rays: wear appropriate clothing and accessories such as a hat or hat with wide brim, narrow clothing (with sleeves), sunglbades with UV filters, apply an abundant amount of sunscreen, broad spectrum ( to protect yourself from UVB-UVA), with SPF +50, cover all exposed skin and moles 30 minutes before tanning and renew them every 2 hours, while avoiding hours of strong solar irradiation (12 at 16).

These habits they must be applied all year round and not just in the summer, when exposure to ultraviolet rays is usually more common and prolonged. Similarly, they should be supplemented by annual consultation with a specialist physician and maintain control of the body moles.

It is also important to keep control of the moles, at least a minute a month. To detect if something is irrelevant, the most recommended is to follow the rules of ABCD: An asymmetry (if one half is not different from the other); B edges (if they are irregular); the color C (it's varied) and D in diameter; (more than 5 millimeters is suspect).

In this context, the Argentine Association of Clinical Oncology (AAOC) and the Argentine League of Cancer Control (LALCEC) launched the campaign "Peas are fashionable", Which invites to promote annual control of these skin spots to detect any kind of abnormality over time.

The slogan is take a picture with a garment or a polka dot accessory and upload it to social networks with the hashtag # LosLunaresEstánDeModa and invite your friends or subscribers to join you.