7 days ago
I'm a skin cancer expert - there's one body part that's most at risk...because no one puts sun cream there
An expert in the deadliest type of skin cancer has urged the public never to forget their ears when applying sun cream—as that's the part of the body where many of his patients develop lethal melanoma.
Dr Michael Park, a dermatologist based in Minneapolis, the US, shared a video to Instagram that told of the 'big chunks' of skin he regularly cuts out of peoples' ears because they have forgotten to apply sunscreen to this delicate area.
'I don't know where people got the idea of "it's just skin cancer, it's not that big of a deal",' he told his 6,000 followers.
'But let me make something really clear. Melanoma, if not caught early, will kill you,' Dr Park warned.
He continued: 'I don't know anyone who wants to get a large piece of skin cut out of them, but personally I think there are certain areas that are way worse than other—and one of those places most people forget to apply sunscreen to. The ears.'
Melanoma is the most dangerous type of the disease, accounting for four out of five skin cancer deaths.
Research shows that nearly 90 per cent of cases are caused by over exposure to ultraviolet radiation, either directly from the sun or sunbeds—meaning they could be prevented.
Research shows that up to 70 per cent of people in the UK make catastrophic failures when it comes to sun protection, such as failing to reapply sun cream and not applying the lotion before going out in the sun.
'Aggressive squamous cell carcinoma on the head and neck will also kill you,' Dr Park added.
This type of cancer is the second most common type of skin cancer in the UK, and starts in the top layer of the skin.
Non-melanoma cancers—basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas—can usually be easily treated especially if they are discovered early.
However, the main treatment for the disease is surgery.
'Although the most common type of skin cancer—basal cell carcinoma—will likely not kill you, you literally have to cut it out,' Dr Park explained.
This can include cutting out the cancer, known as an excisional biopsy, or freezing the affected skin, which forms a scab that drops off after a few weeks—known as cryosurgery.
However, surgeons will often have to cut out some healthy skin, to make sure the cancer doesn't spread, Dr Park warned.
He said while completing his medical training, where he spent over a year at a melanoma specialty clinic, he regularly saw skin cancer developing on peoples' ears.
'We don't just cut out the cancer, but the skin surrounding it, to make sure that it doesn't come back,' he said.
'So this summer, unless you want to look like Vincet van Gogh, make sure you put sunscreen on your ears.'
Social media users flooded the comment section of the dermatologist's video.
One user said: 'I had basal cell carcinoma. It was located inside the ear and they had to cut it out and it was no picnic. It was very painful'.
Another user said: 'I've gotten sunburn too many times on my ears!'
This comes as data by Cancer Research UK shows that last year, rates of the cancer reached a record high, with new melanoma diagnoses increasing by almost a third in just a decade.
Now, experts are warning that melanoma cases are on the rise again.
Melanoma typicaly presents as moles that have uneven edges.
When diagnosing the deadly disease, dermatologists look out for asymmetry, border, colour, diameter and evolving, known as the ABCDEs.
With warmer weather fast approaching, research suggests that 21,300 cases of the disease could be expected this year, the majority of which could be avoided by taking precautions such as applying sunscreen regularly and staying out of the sun.
The NHS advises staying out of the sun during the hottest part of the day, between 11am and 3pm in the UK, keeping arms and legs covered and using sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
Currently around 15,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with melanoma each year—the UK's fifth most common cancer—with the incidence rate rising faster than any other common cancer.
How the cancer is treated depends on whether the cancer has spread, with only 27 per cent of patients diagnosed at stage four surviving beyond five years.
This comes as patients with the deadliest type of skin cancer are set to be given fast-tracked access to a revolutionary cancer vaccine on the NHS.
The needle-free injection is custom-built for patients to stop their melanoma returning—which experts believe will herald a new era in fighting the disease.
It works by boosting the immune system's response, helping it to 'attack' proteins that are specific to melanoma tumours, preventing them from returning.
Currently, around half of patients diagnosed with melanoma respond to immunotherapy.
But those who don't are at a higher risk of their cancer getting worse.
