With summers coming in earlier and lasting longer, and the sun’s UV rays growing all the more harsh in several parts of America, Sharon Kleyne, host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water radio show, believed it would be of great benefit for all her listeners to learn more about the under-recognized danger of skin cancer, particularly, malignant melanoma. Despite a notable decline in the rate of cancer over the past few years, incidents of melanoma have risen by about 200% between 1982 and 2011. While these numbers can be alarming, Kleyne reports this fatal type of skin cancer can still be considered highly preventable with proper protection and hydration.
The radio host is set to discuss malignant melanoma and tips on how to lower one’s risk of developing it during her August 24, 2015 broadcast of the Sharon Kleyne Hour™ Power of Water® show, which will be available live or via podcast here. The show is aired weekly on VoiceAmerica and on Apple iTunes, and is sponsored by Bio-Logic Aqua® Research, founded by Kleyne herself as a research center that specializes in fresh water, the atmosphere, body surface evaporation and dehydration.
Despite pubic health officials’ efforts in raising awareness and action on the importance of limiting sun exposure, the radio host believes it is not enough to link the dangers of skin cancer to mere sun bathing and tanning. According to her, any activity done with sun exposure can elevate one’s risk of skin cancer because of the worsening depletion of the ozone layer and rising levels of UV radiation that enter the earth’s atmosphere, unfiltered.
Kleyne emphasizes that malignant melanoma can be a “sneaky disease” and that while estimates show the average age someone is diagnosed with the disease is pegged at 62, it can actually begin at any age, with childhood sunburns playing a key role in the harmful DNA mutations that can trigger it decades after. In fact, any area of the body that has developed freckles because of a sunburn can be a site for a melanoma lesion to develop.
“The best way to prevent melanoma,” says Kleyne, “Is to avoid solar and UV radiation. Stay indoors in summer if possible. If exposure is unavoidable, wear protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses when outdoors. Apply high SPF sunscreen – summer or winter – to any skin area that might be exposed to direct solar or UV radiation. Avoid excessive tanning, including tanning beds. Covering up in the sun and applying sunscreen is especially important with children. With a toddler or infant, direct solar radiation can cause severe dehydration in addition to DNA damage.”
