(Radio Iowa) – May is skin cancer awareness month and Darcie Follon, a registered nurse who’s a health nurse educator in Clay County, suggests that everyone to do a monthly self-check. “Take a few minutes to check your skin in the mirror, looking at your arms, legs, back,” Follon said, “and then even places you might not think about such as your scalp or the bottoms of your feet.”
Melanoma is the most invasive form of skin cancer with the highest risk of death. According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, cases of melanoma in Iowa have increased by 169 percent since 1992. Follon says people who are at higher risk should see a dermatologist yearly.
“People with fair skin tend to be more susceptible, especially if they have that history of sunburns and then anyone who uses tanning beds, we are also at increased risk and then there’s that family history or personal history of skin cancer, but I always like to remind people that skin cancer does not discriminate,” Follon said, “Anyone can get skin cancer, so everyone should be paying attention.”
Follon says there are certain things to watch for, like a mole that’s asymmetrical, has irregular edges, different colors or is larger than a pencil eraser. “We want you to watch for new spots, but also anything that looks different or is changing,” Follon said. “That’s simply you skin trying to tell you something and it’s worth getting checked out.”
According to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, melanoma is one of the most common and dangerous types of cancer among adolescents and adults under 40. Iowa had the fourth highest rate of melanoma cases in the country from 2018 to 2022.
