How Often Should I Get a Skin Cancer Screening?
- Posted on: Jun 15 2023
Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the United States every year. Thankfully, skin cancer can often be caught early and treated if proper screening is performed. However, you may be wondering how often you need to have a skin cancer screening. Let’s explore how often you need a skin cancer screening, how risk factors affect that, and how treatments like Mohs surgery can help skin cancer.
How Often Should I Be Screened?
Cancer screening is essential to catching the disease early for the highest treatment success rate. Skin cancer, thankfully, is a fairly easy condition to be screened for. That being said, it shouldn’t ever be put on the back burner. It’s generally recommended that you are screened once a year for skin cancer. However, there isn’t any harm in being screened multiple times a year. That being said, there are people who should be screened more than once a year. Let’s take a look at some risk factors that would increase your need for screening.
Skin Cancer Risk Factors
Light Complexion or Skin Tone
Skin cancer is most commonly caused by UV light damage from the sun. That’s why things like sunscreen are incredibly important to protecting your skin. Your body naturally mitigates UV damage through melanin in your skin. The lighter your skin color you are, the less melanin you have. This means your skin will burn easier and become damaged faster. If you have a lighter complexion, it’s best to consider being screened more often.
Family History
Skin cancer and cancer, in general, are caused by damaged DNA replicating itself. This is often caused by outside sources, but your risk of developing skin cancer increases if your family has a history of it. It’s best to get screened more often than once a year if your family has a history of skin cancer.
How Mohs Surgery Can Treat Skin Cancer
Once a screening has caught skin cancer, it will need to be treated. Thankfully, the American Society for Mohs Surgery is dedicated to perfecting, enhancing, and promoting the highest standard for skin cancer treatments through Mohs surgery. If you’ve been diagnosed with skin cancer and are considering Mohs treatment, then contact the American Society for Mohs Surgery at 785-783-2070 today.
Posted in: Skin Cancer
