It's “tanning season," and there's no better time of year to educate yourself, your friends, and your students about skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in the United States.

There’s one type of skin cancer that many hear about, but may not understand. It’s called melanoma.

For those featured in the video below, melanoma is all too familiar. What message would melanoma survivors send to their 16-year-old selves? Find out in this video, along with some potentially life-saving tips to share with your students.

While melanoma is not the most common type of skin cancer, it is the most deadly. And, while it is more likely to happen in older folks, it is also found in younger people. In fact, it is one of the most common cancers in people under age 30.

Fortunately, though, it rarely strikes without warning. One of the best ways to protect yourself is to learn how to identify melanoma in its early stages. If recognized and treated early, melanoma is almost always curable.

Warning Signs: The ABCDE’s of Melanoma

Moles, brown spots and growths on the skin are usually harmless — but not always. The first signs can appear in one or more atypical moles. That's why it's so important to look for the ABCDE signs of melanoma, and if you see one or more, make an appointment with a physician immediately.

A – Asymmetry: If you draw a line through this mole, the two halves will not match.
B – Border: The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven.
C – Color: Having a variety of colors is another warning signal. A number of different shades of brown, tan or black could appear. A melanoma may also become red, blue or some other color.
D – Diameter: Melanomas are usually larger in diameter than the size of the eraser on your pencil, but they may sometimes be smaller when first detected.
E – Evolving: Any change — in size, shape, color, elevation, or another trait, or any new symptom such as bleeding, itching or crusting — points to danger.

	Benign (non-cancerous)	Malignant (cancerous)
Symmetrical			Asymmetrical  (the two sides do not match)
Borders are even			Borders are uneven
One color			Two or more colors
Smaller than 1/4 inch			Larger than 1/4 inch
Ordinary mole			Changing in size, shape, color, or another trait

Source: http://www.skincancer.org/melanoma/Warning-Signs.html

Lessons about Sun-Safety: Teachers, Take Note!

A history of one or more sunburns (an indicator of intense UV exposure) in childhood or adolescence has been found to increase the risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, a more common form of skin cancer, and melanoma as an adult.

Actively promoting and practicing sun-safety in the classroom can have a tremendous impact on your students’ future health.

Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Skin Cancer School Health Guidelines section for resources, information and guidelines to promote skin cancer awareness prevention in your classroom.

You can also check out the Roswell Park Skin Cancer Tip Sheet to share with students and coworkers.