Skin Cancer Checklists

Risk factors

Risk Reduction

Early Detection

• Do you or have you sunbathed?
• Do you or have you used tanning beds or sunlamps?
• Do you have pale skin and blond or red hair?
• Do you sunburn easily or have many freckles?
• Did you have severe sunburns as a child?
• Do you have many or unusually shaped moles?
• Do you live in a southern climate or at a high altitude?
• Do you spend a lot of time outdoors (for work or recreation)?
• Have you ever had radiation treatment?
• Has anyone in your family had skin cancer?
• Do you have a weakened immune system due to an organ transplant, HIV infection, or another condition?
• Were you born with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP), basal cell nevus syndrome, or dysplastic nevus syndrome?
• Have you been exposed to any of the following chemicals?

1. Arsenic
2. Radium
3. Coal tar
4. Paraffin

• Stay out of the sun as much as possible, especially between 10 am and 4 pm
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat, a shirt, and UV protective sunglasses when out in the sun
• Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, and reapply it often
• Wear wrap-around sunglasses with at least 99% UV absorption, labeled as blocking UVA and UVB light; or "UV absorption to 400 nm," which means UVA and UVB protection
• Do not use tanning beds or sunlamps
• Protect young children from excess sun exposure
• Check your skin often for abnormal or changing areas, especially moles, and have them checked by a doctor

Regular self exam:

• Become familiar with any moles, freckles, or other spots on your skin. Use mirrors or have a family member or close friend look at areas you can’t see (ears, scalp, lower back).
• Check for skin changes once a month. Show any suspicious or changing areas to a doctor

Cancer-related check-up (including skin exam) with your doctor is recommended during regular visits for people age 20 and older, especially those with risk factors for skin cancer