Melanoma

Many factors can increase the risk of developing melanoma and other skin cancers. Some of these factors are due to behaviors, like exposure to the sun. However, some risk factors for skin cancers are inherited in families.

Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer1 than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. Kelly B. Cha, M.D., Ph.D., a Michigan Medicine dermatologist and skin cancer expert, answers questions about how to best detect and prevent skin cancer.

It's important to protect your skin whenever you are outside, because of the risk for skin cancer. About 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers and 65% of melanomas are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the sun. One of the best ways to protect your skin is to apply sunscreen. Do you know which is right for you?

The first step in treating skin cancer is proper diagnosis. This requires your doctor to remove a small tissue sample (a biopsy) from the suspected site. When done at the University of Michigan, a specially trained dermatopathologist examines the biopsy to determine if cancer is present and if so what type.