That's Fit

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Are you aware? I am, as I look at my husband's left hand, fresh out of surgery to remove a squamous cell cancer, in all of its stitched and bandaged glory. I am aware when I look at my pale, pale skin and attempt to cover up as much as possible before heading out into the blazing Florida sun. I am aware when I lather my blond-headed little boys with sunscreen, hide in the shade at my neighborhood pool, and think back to all the skin cancer-y spots my grandma was forever having frozen off her her aging body. I've had a few frozen myself. And my sister just last year had two basal cell cancers carved right out of her chest. Her scars are constant reminders of summers spent basking on the beach.

Skin cancer should not be taken lightly, no matter how strongly you believe the disease won't happen to you. Of all the cancers out there, you might think this one is no big deal. You'd be wrong. Just ask Miss Melanoma who lost a toe because a mole on her foot turned up as melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Ask anyone battling the disease and fighting off death. There were an estimated 59,940 new melanoma cases in the U.S. in 2007 and 250,000 cases of squamous cells carcinomas, the second most common type of skin cancer. Basal cell cancer, the most common form, strikes one million people each year.

Skin cancer should alarm you. Because if left undetected, it can kill you. Awareness is key. So do you part this month. And every month. Inform yourself. Your family. Your friends. All the information you need -- how to prevent it, how to detect it, how to treat it -- can be found right here at The Skin Cancer Foundation.

The incidence of throat cancer -- also known as esophageal adenocarcinoma -- is on the rise. So is obesity. And it seems the two are linked. Actually, it's the increasing intake of total and refined carbohydrates and the subsequent climb of obesity rates that are connected with the disease.

While these measures do not necessarily reflect individual risk for throat cancer, researchers say that overall, this cancer is "strongly correlated" with high carbohydrate consumption. This cancer is also associated with gastoesophageal relflux (GERD) which happens to also be linked with obesity and high carb intake.

Interestingly, researchers found a decrease in rates of squamous cell cancer of the esophagus which is more affected by smoking. Does that mean people are smoking less. Could be.

How good are you doing at avoiding cancer? Take this AOL Body cancer quiz and find out.

It's old news that tanning beds increase the risk for (and in many cases even cause) skin cancer, but the latest tidbit is that the age at which you start tanning can also have a significant impact on your risk -- and not just because starting younger means tanning longer.

In an article published in the March edition of the International Journal of Cancer, experts are recommending that policy makers restrict the access of minors to tanning beds and other tanning equipment. With cancer risks for people under age 35 jumping by as much as 75% when tanning beds are involved, as beautiful as tans are maybe we should look at different regulations across the board, for everybody.

Just a few weeks ago, first lady Laura Bush had a cancerous lesion removed from her right shin. It was found to be the second most common form of skin cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. When asked why she didn't say anything about it sooner, she answered simply "It's no big deal and we knew it was no big deal at the time." The lesion was about the size of a nickel, and the whole subject came up finally when somebody asked why she was wearing a bandage on her leg at a Hanukah ceremony recently.

As for her "no big deal" comment: squamous cell carcinomas are responsible for less than 0.1 percent of cancer deaths, but they are also more likely to spread to other areas of the body than basal cell (the most common form of skin cancer) and do require more follow-up monitoring.

There also seems to be some debate on whether or not she should have made the issue public sooner, and I have to side with her on this one. Getting a diagnosis of cancer is scary (whether she admits it or not), and since she's not personally an elected official (and so isn't required to disclose the same way the President is) I can't blame her for wanting to keep this to herself and close family -- at least until she knew what she was dealing with.

A new study by researchers in Austria has found a link between marathon runners and an increased risk for skin cancer. The study included 410 participants, half marathon runners and half people who worked out at a recreation center. 24 of the marathoners were referred for treatment or surgery of abnormal skin lesions, while only 14 of the "indoor" group were referred. And there was even a higher percentage of referrals from the subgroup of marathon runners that trained more vigorously (more than 43 miles a week).

Some good news is that of the abnormal skin lesions found none appeared to be the less common but more deadly form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma. Preliminary screenings indicated they were all the more frequently seen non-melanoma cancers.

Whether you're a marathon runner or not, anybody who exercises outdoors should take this to be yet another reminder of just how important it is to respect the sun's rays by using sunscreen, wearing sun-sheilding fabrics, and working out when the sun isn't at it's highest and strongest. Simple steps can make a big difference in this area!