As July is UV Safety Awareness Month, key tips for addressing sun damage, skin cancer signs, photoaging, and more are highlighted in this discussion.
More than 5 million skin cancer cases in the US are diagnosed within each year, and with melanoma being the third most common cancer to affect young adult population, raising awareness has become a major priority for those in the dermatology field.1
While awareness regarding sun protection has improved in recent years, Kathleen Suozzi, MD, associate professor of dermatology and director of Aesthetic Dermatology at Yale Medicine, spoke with the HCPLive team about why the annual observance of July’s UV Safety Awareness Month remains an important chance for dermatologists to reinforce prevention-focused messaging.1,2
“Obviously, as we're getting into peak summer, it's a great time to think about our UV exposure,” Suozzi expressed. “And you know, while I do think there's better awareness about the need for UV protection, particularly in our younger populations, we're still underutilizing the best UV strategies.”
According to Suozzi, the summer months provide an ideal time to educate patients about the cumulative effects of ultraviolet exposure, particularly among younger individuals. While she has observed greater public awareness surrounding sunscreen and sun protection than in previous years, she noted that many patients still fail to consistently practice the most effective preventive behaviors.
At the point in which many seek dermatologic care due to prior sun exposure concerns, she highlighted, much of the damage has already taken place. As a result, Suozzi noted the value of reaching patients early in life, when preventive measures can have the greatest long-term effects.
During her interview, Suozzi described how she assesses individuals showing a history of chronic UV exposure, pointing to the commonly-observed overlap between signs of photoaging and precancerous changes. One of the most important signs she looks out for is actinic keratosis, known to be a precursor to squamous cell carcinoma.
While an individual actinic keratosis carries a relatively low likelihood of progressing to cancer, Suozzi noted patients with numerous lesions or extensive "field damage" are known to have a substantially higher overall risk of developing skin cancer. As a result, early recognition and treatment are uniquely important.
Outside of precancerous lesions, Suozzi also assesses several additional manifestations of chronic UV damage known to provide insight into one’s cumulative level of UV exposure. These include dyspigmentation, solar lentigines, volume changes, loss of skin elasticity, and solar elastosis. The latter sign is a collagen-related textural shift Suozzi describes to patients as a having a cobblestone appearance.
While such features are typically linked with photoaging rather than premalignant disease, Suozzi highlighted the damage caused by both UVA- and UVB-induced contributing to a patient's overall carcinogenic exposure history.
Disclosures: Suozzi had no relevant financial disclosures of note to report.
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