Some disturbing statistics were just released about a sharp increase in a deadly form of skin cancer called malignant melanoma among young women.

A new study in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that from 1980-2004, melanoma cases in young women age 15-39 jumped 50 percent, while in the same period melanoma cases in young men showed no increase. Experts believe today's young women are tanning more often than men, both outdoors and in tanning booths.

Please remember to use no less than an SPF 15 on your skin when outdoors and to schedule a Total Body Exam yearly or sooner to detect and treat any suspicious changes to your skin.

Total Body Exams

Coupled with a yearly skin exam by a doctor, self-examination of your skin once a month is the best way to detect the early warning signs of basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma, the three main types of skin cancer. If you spot a new growth or any skin change, make an appointment with any one of our highly skilled medical practitioners right away.