The Importance of Getting Regular Skin Cancer Screenings

Can you remember the last time your skin was looked at by a skin care professional? For many people, getting a regular skin cancer screening is not high up on their to-do list. 

However, with the rates of skin cancer diagnoses consistently increasing year after year, it’s important to prioritize your annual skin cancer screenings to reduce your risk and optimize the health of your skin. 

Furthermore, early detection of skin cancer can drastically increase your chances of swift recovery and minimal disruption to your overall health.

Learn more about the growing threat of skin cancer, what a skin cancer screening is, and where you can schedule one in Tennessee today by reading our short guide below. 

Skin Cancer Facts & Stats

To help you get a better grasp of how prevalent skin cancer is in today’s world, take a look at these short skin cancer facts and statistics from The Skin Cancer Foundation. 

• Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States and worldwide.
• 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. 
• In the U.S., more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day. 
• More than two people die of skin cancer in the United States every hour.
• Having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma.
• When detected early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99 percent.

The dangers of skin cancer cannot be denied. While skin cancer can be life threatening, when detected early enough, the survival rate is very high. This is why it is increasingly important to schedule your annual skin cancer screening with a board-certified professional. 

What is a Skin Cancer Screening? 

A skin cancer screening is a visual examination of your skin. During this examination, a board-certified professional, such as a dermatologist, will closely evaluate your skin and look for the warning signs and symptoms of various skin cancers, like basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. 

Furthermore, during your skin cancer screening, your doctor may use a bright light or hand-held magnification tool called a dermatoscope to look more closely at skin lesions. 

Before your examination, your doctor will ask you to remove your clothes and put on a gown. Then, he or she will examine your skin looking for signs of skin cancer. All in all, this procedure takes around 30 minutes to complete. It is painless and requires no needles or incisions. 

In addition to having your skin examined by a board-certified dermatologist, it is important to perform self-examinations of your skin on a monthly basis. This is to check for new, changing, or unusual spots and moles that you can point out to your doctor at your next appointment. 

Why Should You Get Regular Skin Cancer Screenings? 

Skin cancer screenings can be life-saving. With one in five Americans developing this disease at some point in their lifetime, the risk is pretty high. By scheduling regular skin cancer screenings, you significantly reduce your risk of dying from skin cancer by detecting and treating it early enough. 

Aside from potentially saving your life, there are a few other benefits to skin cancer screenings as well. This includes: 

• Alleviate Your Worries — If you’ve noticed a weird spot or odd mole on your skin and it’s contributing to elevated stress and anxiety levels, a board-certified dermatologist can help alleviate your worries by clarifying whether it is completely harmless or should be treated as soon as possible. 
• Professionally Trained Providers — Dermatologists are highly-trained professionals who deeply understand how to identify and detect various forms of skin cancer. In most cases, the everyday individual does not know the extent of skin cancer symptoms and cannot pick out a suspicious spot. 
• Extended Attentiveness — Skin cancer can show up anywhere on the body, not just where your skin is exposed to the sun. With a dermatologist’s help, he or she can examine areas you might not think (or have the ability) to look at during your self exams. 

Schedule Your Skin Cancer Screening at Brentwood Dermatology 

If you are overdue for your annual skin cancer screening or have never had one before, contact Brentwood Dermatology today to schedule your skin cancer screening in Brentwood, TN. Give us a call at (615) 377-3448 or fill out our online form to request an appointment. 

Professional Skin Cancer Treatment in Brentwood, Tennessee

The experienced and highly-trained physicians at Brentwood Dermatology can assist you with all of your general, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology needs. If you would like to learn more about our skin cancer screenings or treatment in Brentwood, TN, schedule an appointment, visit our website, or give us a call at (615) 377-3448.