Can you spot A rip at the beach? A great wave? A skin cancer?

Two in three Australians will If you have fair skin, blue or develop skin cancer before green eyes, fair or red hair or the age of 70. The good news lots of moles or freckles you is that 95 per cent of skin are at high risk of developing cancers can be successfully skin cancer. treated if detected early. Cumulative UV exposure also Do you know what skin cancer contributes to your risk of looks like? A simple check could save developing skin cancer. So if your life. We should all check you grew up in Australia, work our skin regularly. Get to outdoors or spend lots of time know your skin and take in the sun you should take immediate action if you notice care to protect and check any changes. your skin.

Use the ABCD of melanoma detection to check for the following:

Asymmetry Border Colour Diameter If the spot or A spot with A spot with A spot that lesion is divided a spreading a number is growing in half, the two or irregular of different and changing halves are not a edge. colours in diameter mirror image. through it. or size.

Skin cancers Warning signs Check your skin regularly Be SunSmart. There are three main types of skin cancer: basal cell The following spots are • Many skin cancers are detected Protect yourself in five carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. not skin cancer but may by people themselves or by a ways from skin cancer. predispose you to skin cancer family member. UV levels are highest Melanoma or be a warning sign that skin •  Accounts for 1–2% of skin cancers. •  To check your skin, undress during the middle of damage has occurred. completely and stand in good the day. Take care to •  Is the most dangerous and aggressive form light. of skin cancer. be SunSmart when the Dysplastic naevi (‘atypical •  Use a full-length or hand-held UV Index is 3 or above. •  If left untreated can spread to other parts of the moles’) mirror to check your back, body and can be fatal. Check our UV Alert online •  Are odd-shaped moles that legs and scalp. If there are or download our •  Grows quickly over weeks to months. may indicate a greater risk of areas you can’t see properly SunSmart app at developing melanoma. ask a family member or your •  Can appear as a new or existing spot, freckle www.cancer.org.au/UVAlert or mole that changes in colour, size or shape. •  Usually 5-10mm wide with GP for a skin check – don’t •  Can grow anywhere on the body, not just areas uneven colouring. ignore them. Slip on exposed to the sun. •  If you have lots of odd- •  Make sure you check your protective •  Occurs most frequently on the upper back shaped moles get your skin entire body as skin cancers clothing in males and on the lower leg in females. checked regularly by your can sometimes occur on parts •  Use clothing doctor. of the body not exposed to the to cover as Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) sun, for example the soles of much skin as • Accounts for about 66% of skin cancers. Solar keratoses (‘sunspots’) the feet. Go through the same possible. • Grows slowly over months or years. •  Generally hard, red, scaly checking sequence each time •  Look for small, round or flattened spots that are spots on sun-exposed areas to get into a routine. Slop on SPF of the skin. red, pale or pearly in colour. Some are scaly like Check your: 30 or higher a patch of eczema. •  Most commonly found on the sunscreen •  Head, scalp, neck and ears •  May become ulcerated, bleed and fail to heal. head, neck and on the back Take an extra close look around •  Make sure •  Usually found on the upper body, head or neck. of the hands. the nose, lips, ears and scalp. it’s broad • Is a warning sign that the spectrum Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) skin has been damaged by •  Torso and water- • Accounts for about 33% of skin cancers. the sun and that skin cancers Check the front, back and resistant. •  Grows over months and may spread if not treated. may develop. sides of the torso. •  Look for scaly red areas that may bleed easily, •  If you have solar keratoses, •  Arms, hands, fingers and nails Slap on a hat ulcers or non-healing sores that are often protect yourself from further Remember to look at the spaces •  Wear a broad- painful, especially when touched. sun damage and have your between the fingers and the brimmed hat beds of your fingernails. •  Often found on lips, ears, scalp, backs of the skin checked regularly by a that covers hands and lower legs. doctor. •  Buttocks, legs and feet your face, Remember to check between head, neck toes, under toenails and on and ears. the soles of feet. Seek shade See a doctor straight away Harmless spots •  Make use of Seborrhoeic keratoses (‘senile warts’) if you notice: •  A skin spot that is different trees or built •  Common non-cancerous spots sometimes confused with from other spots around it. shade or bring melanomas. your own. •  Raised warty-looking brown or black lesions with well- •  A mole or freckle that has defined borders. changed in size, shape or colour. Slide on some •  Mostly found on the trunk but can occur anywhere on the body. •  A new spot that has changed sunglasses over weeks or months in size, •  Close-fitting shape or colour. wrap-around •  An inflamed sore that has not styles offer Eye damage healed within three weeks. the best The sun can also damage your eyes. protection. In the short term, sun exposure can cause burns to the eye similar to sunburn Melanoma of the skin. Long-term exposure

can lead to cataracts (clouding 1 of the lens), pterygium (tissue accounts covering the cornea) and cancer of the conjunctiva or cornea. It is important to protect your eyes by for 10% 2 wearing sunglasses and a broad- of all brimmed or bucket hat. 1. Pterygium (tur-ridg-i-um) 2.  Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the conjunctiva 3 cancers 3. Cataract

For more information call Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20 or visit www.cancer.org.au Developed with assistance from Dr Jamie Von Nida, Dr Peter Randell and Dr Judy Cole.