As my story shows, however, not every cancer or precancer will look exactly the way you think it should. Mine looked like a pimple that hadn’t reached a head yet. David J. Leffell, M.D., professor of dermatology at Yale’s School of Medicine, advises watching for these telltale signs:

* Sores that don’t heal
* Sores that heal, scab over and break down again
* Scaly patches
* Little bumps that get progressively larger
* Any sudden change in the skin
* A mole or spot that itches
* Your intuition that something is just not right
“I tell my patients to be alert. People generally have a very good sense of their own bodies and they should trust their instincts. If you sense there is something of concern about a mole, even if you don’t know why, it’s important to have a doctor biopsy it,” says Dr. Leffell, author of Total Skin: The Definitive Guide to Whole Skin Care for Life.

Protect and Prevent

Ultraviolet radiation compromises the skin’s immune system, which is your body’s last line of defense against skin cancer, says dermatologist Mark Naylor, M.D.. Avoiding that dangerous scenario is simple.
* Take cover. Whenever I’m in the sun now, I wear a hat, a long-sleeved shirt and pants.
* Lotion up. I always put on sunscreen when I go outside, all year round. There are many good moisturizers out now that have sunscreen in them. (And don’t forget to use lip balm with sun protection.) You want a product with SPF 15 or higher that provides both UVA and UVB protection.
* Use a sunscreen that doesn’t sting, burn your eyes or cause pimples. It should be free of PABA, fragrance, dyes and oils.
* Check up. Most skin cancers are highly treatable if caught early. See a dermatologist annually for an all-over skin check. If you have a family history of skin cancer or have had problems yourself in the past, you need to go twice a year, as I do now. Give yourself an all-over skin check once a month. Get to know the landscape of your body and be aware of any changes. According to a report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, doing a once-a-month full-body scan may reduce your chances of dying from a melanoma by up to 63 percent.
* Review your medications. Certain drugs, such as tetracycline, diuretics and some antidepressants and heart medications, can make you photosensitive, meaning that you are more prone to an exaggerated, accelerated sunburn-like rash. When you take these medicines, you need to be extra-cautious about sunning yourself.
* Be careful with retinoids and glycolic acid. These cosmetic applications don’t pose a huge threat, but be aware that they do strip off a layer of skin, which may increase your sensitivity to the sun.
*Don’t use tanning booths. UV exposure from tanning beds can be just as harmful to your skin as exposure from the sun. Studies have found an increased incidence of melanoma in those who visit tanning booths.
* Fake it. Today’s self-tanners and bronzers are a vast improvement over earlier products, so they look quite natural. Just remember that the creams and bronzers don’t necessarily provide sun protection.

New Therapies, New Hope
In the past decade or so, researchers have come up with new and improved ways of dealing with this modern scourge.

Topical chemotherapy for actinic keratosis After surgically removing my actinic keratosis, my doctor had me apply a topical cream that brought whatever bad cells remained to the surface of the skin. She then easily scraped them off. In cases where precancerous changes are not too advanced, topical chemo alone may be sufficient, says Dr. Naylor.

Mohs micrographic surgery for basal and squamous cell carcinomas Until recently, only a few physicians knew how to perform this procedure. Now most major university and cancer centers can do it. This technique can be performed in the doctor’s office and allows the physician to completely evaluate the affected area through an advanced mapping technique. It also usually has a better cosmetic result since less tissue needs to be excised.

Keep in mind, however, this plea from Dr. Naylor: “We can work on better and earlier diagnosis and treatment. But in order to really reduce the mortality rate from skin cancer, we need to change human behavior. People have to start taking seriously how dangerous sun exposure can be. Prevention is always better than treatment.”