And farmers, like yourself, are at increased risk for skin cancer because they are outdoors nearly every day of the year. Just as there are ways to manage your farm operation, there are ways to control you skin s health. An SPF of 15 means you can safely stay out in the sun 15 times longer than you would be able to without sunblock. Also, because the sun s harmful effects accumulate over the year, it s very important that you regularly apply sunscreen to your children each day and encourage them to wear protective clothing. Because you can t avoid the sun entirely, do a monthly check for changes in mole sizes, shapes or colors, or new moles or red skin patches.
Skin cancer is treatable if caught early.
The first two kinds are very common and usually very treatable. The third skin cancer, melanoma, must be caught early to be cured. More than 6,000 people die of melanoma each year. This is very tragic since the disease is potentially 100 percent curable if caught in time.