When you think of skin cancer, you probably imagine the condition on a person who has been in the sun for decades or someone who regularly uses tanning beds. While those people are at heightened risk for developing skin cancer, they certainly aren’t the only ones susceptible to the sun’s harmful rays. Children are at risk for skin cancer development, and if we want to protect our skin long into our golden years, we have to be proactive about prevention when we’re young. Below, we take a look at how parents can help protect their children from skin cancer, and the best ways to treat adolescent skin cancer.
Preventing Pediatric Skin Cancer
Preventing skin cancer in children has been in the news lately, as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently issued guidelines on educating children and parents about pediatric skin cancer. Previous recommendations stated that doctors should consider talking to kids and parents about skin cancer prevention when the child turned 10. Based on the rising skin cancer rates among young people, the task force said doctors should begin talking with parents about protecting their children from harmful ultraviolet rays as early as six months of age.
“Clinicians should counsel children, their parents and young adults to use the sun-protective behaviors,” said Dr. John Epling Jr, who is on the task force. “Doing things like using sunscreen, wearing sun-protective clothing, and avoiding indoor tanning can help prevent skin cancer later in life.”
It can be difficult to instill the importance of protecting the skin against harmful ultraviolet rays in young children, so much of the onus falls on the parents. Aside from being proactive about making them wear sunscreen, here are some tips parents should consider to help keep their kids protected.
- Aside from protective clothing, consider dressing kids in protective accessories, like hats and sunglasses.
- Be aware of how the sun is hitting your child when walking with a stroller.
- Consider putting shade screens in your vehicle windows, because the sun can cause burns even through car windows.
- If you’re going to be out in the sun for a long while, pack an umbrella to help provide shade, or choose a shady spot under a tree if you’re going to be in one spot for a bit.
- Once a month during bath time, take a look at your child to check for moles, growths or changes in mole shape.
- Report any new or changing moles to your pediatrician or skin cancer specialist.
- Talk to your doctor about more ways to protect your child’s skin, especially if skin cancer runs in the family or your child has fair skin.
Treating Skin Cancer In Children
Potentially cancerous moles are rarely painful in their infancy, which means most children aren’t going to complain of symptoms, so spotting skin cancer usually falls on the parents. If you notice that a new mole has appeared, or an old mole has changed shape, become asymmetrical, has abnormal borders or seems to be changing in color, set up an appointment with a skin cancer specialist as soon as possible.
Those factors don’t necessarily mean that the mole is cancerous, but research has shown that skin cancer has a much higher treatment success rate if treated in an earlier stage, so if it is a problem, you’ll want to start treatment as soon as possible. Also, if the mole is identified sooner, it’s more likely that a less invasive operation can rectify the problem. Higher success rates and the prospect of a less invasive operation are two key reasons why you should keep an eye out for any potentially problematic moles on your child.
For more information about protecting your child against skin cancer, or to talk to a specialist about a mole on your child, reach out to Dr. Koeplin’s office today.
