检查皮肤癌迹象,夏天是个好时机

Summer time means shorts, tank tops, bathing suits – in other words, lots of exposure to the damaging UV rays of the sun. With more skin exposed, now is an especially good time to check for signs of skin cancer.

夏季来了，短裤、背心、游泳衣齐上场——换句话说，大量皮肤都暴露在有害的太阳紫外线下。随着更多的皮肤暴露，此时是检查皮肤癌迹象的最佳时机。

"We recommend that everyone get in the habit of checking for signs of skin cancer at regular intervals year-round, though understandably people are more likely to be thinking about skin cancer in the hot summer months. You’ll want to check your skin from head to toe, including areas like the scalp and between your toes, so it’s helpful to have a partner to help you," says Dr. Katherine Gordon, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

“我们建议大家养成一年到头都要定期检查皮肤癌迹象的习惯，尽管炎热的夏季更容易患皮肤癌。你要从头到脚检查你的皮肤，包括头皮和脚趾之间的区域，所以有伴侣帮助你更好。”美国加州大学西南医学中心皮肤科助理教授凯瑟琳.戈登博士说。

Here’s what Dr Gordon says to look for:

戈登博士推荐以下情况要注意：

Moles that are changing, are asymmetrical, or have uneven edges,

正在发生变化的皮肤斑，颜色不匀称或者边缘不齐的皮肤斑；

Moles that are multi-colored (brown, tan, and black),

多色的痣，如褐色、茶色、黑色等；

Moles that are raised or have a diameter larger than the size of a pencil eraser,

凸起的痣，或者直径比铅笔橡皮擦大的痣；

Scaliness, itchiness, tenderness, or pain around a mole,

痣的周围有鳞、发痒、柔软，或者触痛；

A sore that does not heal or that heals and then returns,

无法治愈或者反复发作的疼痛；

Brown or black streaks under a nail.

指甲下有棕色或者黑色的条痕。

Though individuals who are older or fair-skinned are most likely to develop skin cancer, people of any age and any skin tone can develop skin cancer. Men are more likely to develop melanoma, by far the most serious type of skin cancer, than women. Individuals of color are prone to skin cancer in areas that aren’t commonly exposed to the sun, such as the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet, the inside of the mouth, and under the nails.

虽然年龄较大或肤色较浅的人更容易得皮肤癌，但任何年龄和肤色的人都可能得皮肤癌。男性比女性更容易患黑素瘤，它是迄今为止最严重的皮肤癌。有色人种在太阳不常照射的地方容易患皮肤癌，如手掌、脚底、口腔内部和指甲下。

"While the 5-year survival rate for skin cancer that has metastasized is low, if melanoma is caught before it has spread to the lymph nodes, the survival rate is 99 percent, so I urge everyone to inspect their skin thoroughly this summer," Dr. Gordon says.

戈登博士说：“虽然已扩散的皮肤癌五年存活率很低，但如果黑色素瘤在扩散到淋巴结之前被发现，存活率是百分之九十九，所以我呼吁大家今年夏天彻底检查皮肤。”