Although less common than other types of skin cancer, melanoma is a dangerous disease that can spread rapidly if it is not caught early. In addition to regular self exams, it is crucial to protect yourself from the damaging effects of the sun — regardless of your age, skin color, or the time of year.
“The bottom line is that UV radiation causes mutations in our genes, which can lead to cancer,” says Jennifer Lin, MD, who works in Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women’s Cancer Center’s Melanoma Treatment Center. “We have to live with the sun, so it’s important that we learn to limit exposure and minimize a lifetime risk of accumulating genetic mutations. ”
In this Cancer Conversations podcast episode, Lin covers a number of prevention topics, including risk factors, types of sunscreen, and screening recommendations. She also discusses new research in treating melanoma, including the latest in immunotherapy.
Listen to the podcast episode below or click “download” to listen later. Subscribe options are also available via iTunes, Google Play, the Stitcher app, TuneIn app, and RSS.
The Cancer Conversations series features Q&A-style conversations with Dana-Farber physicians, clinicians, and researchers. Topics include breast cancer research, precision cancer medicine, integrative therapies, cancer genetics, and more. Visit the Cancer Conversations page for more episodes and the Dana-Farber podcast page for more cancer podcast series.
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