COVER STORY during general assessments and treatments. When conducting a quick scan, check areas that are both exposed and not exposed to the sun. It is more common for skin cancer to develop on exposed areas, but 20% of melanoma can be found on non-exposed skin. If a lesion is detected, going through the following 7-point checklist can help one assess whether a lesion is cancerous. (Next page.) Any mole/lesion that scores more than 3 points should be referred to a specialist. Furthermore, when educating patients on melanoma-detection, teaching the ABCDE’s of skin cancer is a useful tool. Sun safe A brief primer on sunscreen BY DR. ESHA SINGH, ND SUNSCREEN AND MELANOMA W hen it comes to summer skin care and safety, sun-screen is one of the most important products that one can use. Not only does it decrease the risk of developing skin cancers and precancers, but it also protects against sunburns, signs of premature aging and hyperpigmentation. Despite it being such an accessible and fundamental tool, in my practice I have seen a great gap in knowledge on the proper application of sunscreen. In this article, I hope to highlight the role that Naturopathic and Chiropractic doctors can play in sunscreen education within their clinical practice, as well as the fundamental basics of sunscreen. ROLE OF NATUROPATHIC AND CHIROPRACTIC DOCTORS DR. ESHA SINGH is is a naturopathic doctor practicing in Vancouver, BC. She has a clinical focus in skin health and uses an integrative approach to clinical dermatology. Dr. Esha strives to make information on skin health simple and accessible. 8 Chiropractic and Naturopathic Doctor July/August 2022 www.Cndoctor.ca Photo: © M-Production / Adobe Stock Naturopathic and chiropractic doctors hold a unique position within the integrative healthcare model which allows for more time for health behaviour promotion. Given this opportunity, it is imperative to recognize the risk factors of developing skin cancer and under-standing the protective benefits of sunscreen. While a full skin examination is recommended as part of an annual health checkup, NDs and DCs should be regularly scanning the skin Sunscreen’s main claim to fame is its ability to block ultraviolet light, and thus decreasing the risk of skin cancer. One of the most common types of skin cancer is melanoma. Melanoma is a group of four skin cancers that begin in the melanocytes. Melanocytes are the specific type of pigmented skin cell that give colour to the skin, eyes, and hair. A mole is a non-cancerous benign tumor formed by a group of melano-cytes that coalesce together. Moles can be pink, tan or brown in colour, flat or elevated, and can appear throughout the body. While melanocytes are harmless, certain changes, such as exces-sive UV exposure, can cause the melanocytes to become cancer-ous. The four types of melanoma are superficial spreading mela-noma (which is the most com-mon), nodular melanoma, len-tigo maligna melanoma, and acral lentiginous melanoma. While the rates of many com-mon cancers are decreasing, melanoma is among the few that are increasing. In 2021, it was estimated that 8700 Canadians would be diagnosed with mela-noma and 1250 Canadians would die from it. When looking at the sex-distribution of melanoma,
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