Preparing for your first breast cancer screening can be an intimidating experience. However, it’s important to follow your doctor’s recommendations for all health screenings. Learning more about the process and what to expect can help ease any fears you have and help you feel more confident when your appointment arrives. Here are 5 common questions to ask your doctor about breast cancer screening.
Do I need a breast cancer screening at my age?
Are mammograms safe?
How accurate are breast cancer screening tests?
Do I need a 3D mammogram?
If I’m at increased risk for breast cancer, do I need additional screening?
Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Breast Cancer Screening
Learning all the facts is the best tool for good health. Your primary care physician or OB/GYN can help you learn more about the breast cancer screening tests that you need. Asking these questions will help you learn more about the different screenings for breast cancer.
that have non-dense breasts should get a yearly screening mammogram starting at age 40
that have increased breast density should get a yearly mammogram at age 40 and consider supplemental imaging
Women with higher-than-average risk:
that have genetic markers associated with higher cancer risk should start an annual MRI at age 25, then an annual mammogram starting at age 30
that have had prior chest wall radiation from age 10-30 should start an annual MRI at age 25, then an annual mammogram starting at age 30
with a risk of greater than 20% by any model, or a strong family history of breast cancer should start an annual mammogram and supplemental imaging starting at age 35 when recommended by your physician
Women with a prior history of breast cancer age 50 or more should get an annual mammogram
Women with prior history of breast cancer under age 50, or with dense breasts should get an annual mammogram and supplemental imaging when recommended by your physician
Additionally, it’s recommended that all women should be provided with the known benefits and risks of breast cancer screenings and be familiar with the way their breasts normally look and feel so changes can be reported immediately.
2. Are Mammograms Safe?
Yes. A mammogram is a type of X-ray which means you will be exposed to a tiny bit of radiation. In fact, the amount of radiation from a mammogram is even less than that of a chest X-ray. The procedure lasts only about 20 minutes and discomfort is minimal for most women.
In the past, there have been suggestions that mammograms lead to the overdiagnosis of breast cancer since the screenings can find very small cancers that may never cause symptoms or problems. However, it’s impossible to tell which breast cancers would never cause problems, and early diagnosis is vital in providing life-saving treatment for all women with breast cancer.
3. How Accurate Are Breast Cancer Screening Tests?
Breast cancer screening tests are the most accurate way to detect breast cancer. A mammogram is the most common type of breast cancer screening and is 87% accurate in correctly detecting breast cancer. Sometimes, mammography results in a false positive result which requires additional testing. About 13% of the time, a mammography results in a false negative result. This is why it is vital to follow up if your radiologist suggests additional tests.
Additional screenings include breast ultrasound and MRI. While follow-up testing is stressful, it’s important to remember that a recommendation for these additional tests isn’t necessarily a suggestion of a positive result. Sometimes dense breast tissue requires a closer look with additional screening.
4. Do I Need a 3D Mammogram?
It’s not necessary to have a 3D mammogram, but it might be something recommended by your doctor under certain conditions. A 3D mammogram can provide dozens of images instead of approximately only a few that are usually produced with a typical mammogram. It may not be necessary to have 3D mammography if you are at average risk and your health insurance won’t provide coverage. However, a 3D mammogram might be a good choice for women with dense breasts or those who have a personal history of breast cancer. Your doctor will help you understand your personal risks and recommend what type of mammogram you should get.
5. If I’m at Increased Risk for Breast Cancer, Do I Need Additional Screening?
It’s important to talk to your doctor about whether you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer. Your risk factors may be increased due to genetic factors or other reasons related to your lifestyle. Risk factors for breast cancer include:
Genetic Risk Factors
Gender – Women are 100 times more likely to develop breast cancer.
Age – Women over 55 are at a higher risk.
Family history of breast cancer – Women with immediate family members who have been diagnosed with breast cancer may be at higher risk.
Personal history of breast cancer – If you’ve previously had breast cancer, you may be more likely to develop it again.
Dense breasts – Dense breasts make it more difficult to detect cancer on a mammogram.
Lifestyle Risk Factors
Drinking alcohol
Being overweight
Certain types of birth control
Even in women with increased risks, a mammogram is the most common initial screening for breast cancer. However, your doctor may recommend that you begin screenings earlier and have them more often than women at average risk. Be sure to discuss any concerns you have about your risk for breast cancer with your regular doctor.
Breast Cancer Detection and Diagnosis
If your doctor recommends you begin breast cancer screening, you will most likely be sent to a center that specializes in Mammography and other methods of breast cancer detection and diagnosis. The most common screening for breast cancer is a mammogram. If the mammogram indicates abnormal or unclear results, other tests like a breast ultrasound or MRI will likely be recommended.
If breast cancer is detected, you will be referred to a cancer specialist (often called an oncologist) to begin treatment. Early detection leads to early treatment which is the best tool for a positive outcome. Breast cancer screenings play a vital role in the improved survival rate observed in breast cancer patients.
Many patients have to go through chemotherapy as part of their cancer treatment program, which is extremely challenging. If your oncologist has included intravenous chemotherapy as part of your treatment plan, then you can take actions before and during your course of chemotherapy. This will make the overall experience easier on you.
Things You Can Do Before Chemotherapy
1. Ask someone to drive you to and from your treatments.
Sometimes, chemotherapy treatments can take several hours to complete. You will likely be exhausted and you might not feel that great. It’d be ideal if you had someone who could drop you off and pick you up after your chemotherapy sessions.
It doesn’t have to be the same person each time. You don’t want to feel like you’re burdening anyone. However, most people will volunteer to help you out in this situation.
2. Set expectations with your employer.
Make sure that you communicate with your employer about chemotherapy. If you’re able to work while also undergoing chemotherapy, make sure that you let your employer know what you’re going through. They should understand how long it will take, and they might be able to make adjustments in order to suit your specific needs. Plan for a couple of days off right after chemotherapy in case you need them.
The Family Medical Leave Act offers time off, sometimes without pay, for medical care. You might have access to short-term disability insurance, which would provide you with some income during this challenging time. Make sure that you find out every detail of this law before undergoing chemotherapy.
3. Go to the dentist.
Unfortunately, mouth sores and other dental issues are common side effects of chemotherapy, depending on which kind you receive. It’s a good idea to get dental cleanings before going to your sessions. You should also ask about the best dental hygiene practices to adhere to. It’s very important to use alcohol-free mouthwash and a soft toothbrush because this is a gentle way of brushing your teeth if you suffer from mouth sores.
4. Consider purchasing a wig.
Unfortunately, depending on the type of chemotherapy you receive, you might lose your hair. Consider wearing a hat or a scarf sometimes and a wig at other times. It might help to go wig shopping prior to your sessions so that the wig stylist can see your hair as you normally style it before you undergo chemotherapy. If you’re looking to change things up, this could be a good time to try something new.
5. Request help with your pets.
Your furry friends are loyal companions, but they’re also quite a handful. You deserve to give yourself time to rest during this process and hire somebody else to take care of them. You’ll be so glad that you did. Requesting help with your pets is also very important because chemotherapy raises your risk of contracting infections. You don’t want to be picking up dog feces, or cleaning litter boxes, bird cages, and fish tanks.
6. Consider cutting your hair before undergoing chemotherapy.
Consider cutting your hair short before undergoing chemotherapy. It’s a good time to explore a different style. It will also be slightly less of a shock if you end up losing your hair as a result of your treatments.
Things to Do During Chemotherapy
1. Clear your schedule so that you can just go home after chemotherapy.
Don’t plan any rigorous activities for a few days after chemotherapy. You’ll want to relax for a while, especially after your first treatment. You deserve to.
2. Request and secure help with meals.
Chemotherapy is very intense and your body will need to time recover. This means that you should ask for assistance in other areas of your life while you’re going through it. You might want to hire a housekeeper or ask a family member to help you with the dishes and the laundry so that you don’t have to worry about doing household chores while you’re recuperating from your sessions.
You might have to deal with fatigue or nausea. Ask your loved ones to prepare meals for you and help you around the house. It’ll be nice to have other people keep everything in order so that you don’t have to deal with housework and the side effects of your treatments, which can be quite intense.
You might feel weird asking for this sort of help. You don’t want to burden anyone. However, it’s important to take care of yourself by directly asking for what you need so that your friends and family members can support you during this challenging time.
3. Stock up on healthy groceries.
Make sure that you eat well and stay hydrated. Plan ahead and choose foods that have nutritional value. Doing so will help you feel better.
Staying hydrated can ease the side effects of chemotherapy. Make sure that you have plenty of low-calorie drinks on hand. You might also want to subscribe to a meal-delivery service or purchase quite a few frozen meals.
You’ll be able to heat up frozen meals quickly if you don’t feel like cooking. Keep high-protein snacks on hand as well. There are many excellent options to enjoy including smoothies with your favorite fruits, hummus with soft pita bread, and cottage cheese with fruit. Make sure that you avoid foods that are rough and sharp because they can cause mouth sores.
4. Use protection during sex.
If you’re still in your childbearing years, you might be concerned about long-term damage to your reproductive system. You can talk to your oncologist about freezing your eggs or sperm. This would not be a good time to get pregnant, due to the risks for the child, and, if you’re female, for yourself.
Chemotherapy drugs can cause birth defects and damage sperm. They can stay in semen and vaginal fluids, so you should make sure that you use protection no matter what. Talk to your doctor about how long you should take this precaution for.
Don’t Be Too Hard on Yourself During Chemotherapy
We hope that these strategies assist you in taking care of yourself in any way that you can. You deserve to take this time to focus on your health and any measures that you take for self-care are very important. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Your loved ones are there to support you and will probably take care of your pets. They’ll likely drive you to and from your sessions quite willingly and you’ll be able to take time to relax. You’ll be happy that you did. Chemotherapy will likely prolong your life if not lead to a full recovery.
Your nurse navigator at Arizona Oncology will also help guide you through your cancer treatment journey. They can help answer your questions about what to expect during chemotherapy treatment and follow-up care.
We hope that you recover swiftly and thoroughly. Chemotherapy is intense. We hope that you remain perseverant and stay strong.
Even though summer is halfway over, August is Summer Sun Safety Month. This means there is still time to be conscious about practicing sun safety. One major way you can do this is by slathering on some sunscreen and repeat it often anytime you’re outside.
Choosing a sunscreen can be a daunting task. With so many combinations of numbers and specializations, it’s no wonder a lot of people skip wearing sunscreen altogether. To clear up some confusion, let’s talk more about what SPF is as well as its importance when using the right sunscreen for your skin.
What is SPF?
SPF stands for sunburn protection factor.
That number you see behind it on the bottle? That’s a relative measure of how long the UV rays of the sun would take to redden (burn) your skin with sunscreen versus how long it would take without. So, for example, if you wore an SPF 30 sunscreen (as directed), it would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you weren’t wearing any sunscreen at all.
There are other factors that go into how quickly you burn. Someone with blonde hair, blue eyes, and porcelain skin is going to burn long before their friend with dark hair, brown eyes, and olive skin. However, both should use a sunscreen with higher numbers to protect their skin.
Is SPF Enough?
It depends. An important thing to understand is that the sun produces two types of ultraviolet rays that affect the skin: UVA and UVB. These rays can cause premature aging and increase your risk of developing melanoma or non-melanoma skin cancers. Most skin cancers are caused by exposure to UVB rays, while UVA rays are known to play a major part in skin aging and wrinkling.
You may be wondering what this has to do with SPF. The thing about SPF is that it only measures UVB protection, which is great if your main concern is reducing your risk of skin cancer. However, if you’re also concerned about premature aging, it’s important that you look for a sunscreen that states “broad spectrum” on the label. A broad-spectrum sunscreen provides both UVA and UVB ray protection.
SPF Numbers: Is Higher Better?
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends using a sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher. Keep in mind, however, that although higher SPFs do mean more protection, the difference in that protection becomes smaller.
No sunscreen can filter out 100% of the sun’s UVB rays. This is why it’s a good idea to include other sun safety practices, such as seeking shade, wearing protective clothing, and staying indoors from 10 am to 4 pm when UV rays in Arizona are the strongest.
Slather and Repeat
Apply your sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside. To ensure continued protection reapply every 90 minutes. If you will be actively sweating or in the water, be sure to find a sunscreen that is also water-resistant and reapply each time you get out of the water.
Pay attention to all areas of bare skin, including your neck, face, ears, legs, and tops of your feet. For your lips, choose a lip balm that’s at least SPF 15 and reapply it frequently throughout the day. For more information on protecting your skin from both sunburns and skin cancer, visit our blog on sun safety.
In many cases, people who get sunburned don’t use enough sunscreen, don’t reapply it, or use a product that is past its expiration date. Remember, your skin is exposed to UV rays every time you go outside – even on cloudy days, on the snow, and in the water – so practice sun safety by slathering on some broad-spectrum, SPF sunscreen.
Other Products That Offer SPF
As the importance of SPF for skin care has become more common and a larger topic of discussion, many companies have begun offering SPF in their products. Today, you find SPF in your makeup and moisturizers.
These products make SPF a part of your daily care routine. However, you don’t want to rely solely on these products. First, you need to make sure the product has at least an SPF 30.
Second, you’re only using these products on your face and neck, so you need to be sure to protect the rest of your exposed skin.
Third, if you’re spending time outdoors, you need to reapply the SPF every 90 minutes to ensure coverage.
When Summer Fades
You know the summer season has arrived when you visit the pharmacy or grocery store to find a prominent shelf filled with sunscreen. The rest of the year, sunscreen is tucked away on a couple of shelves hidden at the back of the store.
This does all of us a great disservice. It leads you to believe that sunscreen isn’t as important during other times of the year.
This isn’t the case!
Each and every time you leave your home you should be wearing sunscreen with an SPF 30 or greater on any portion of exposed skin. This includes driving to work each day. You can get color on your exposed arms while driving back and forth to work.
As we celebrate Summer Sun Safety Month in August, it’s important to learn the basics of protecting our skin from the sun’s harmful rays.
Understanding the difference between UVA and UVB rays helps you make better choices with sunscreens that contain broad-spectrum coverage. It’s also essential that we care for our skin and use a sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 throughout the year.
Learning you have cancer is shocking news. After you accept your cancer diagnosis, your main focus is probably, “How can I beat this?” Your oncologist will begin treating you using established, proven treatment protocols based on the specific type of cancer that was diagnosed. In some cases the most commonly effective treatments aren’t working as hoped, and sometimes the cancer returns in other parts of the body. In these cases your oncologist may recommend enrolling in a cancer clinical trial. Should you do this? Find out more about cancer research being done at Arizona Oncology through The US Oncology Network.
Clinical Trials Involve Fine-Tuning FDA-Approved Cancer Treatments
Medical breakthroughs are making new cancer treatments available more often than ever before. Plus, cancer specialists are finding ways to use or combine the already-approved treatments for new uses in cancer treatment. Before these treatments can be made available to everyone they undergo a careful and extensive testing process through clinical trials. There are four primary clinical trial phases.
Phase 1 Clinical Trials: Is the treatment safe?
Research, which leads to human testing, often starts at the test tube level. For cancer, this may include treating cancer cells with the drug(s) of interest.
If a therapeutic response is observed, then the drugs are given to animals. Animal testing provides some insight into possible side effects and generates the starting dose that will be used in the first level of human testing called a Phase I clinical trial. Patients, considered for this cancer treatment, have typically exhausted standard of care options, have an advanced stage of cancer, but have few symptoms from their cancer.
Enrollment in a Phase 1 trial is typically open to patients with various cancers. The first patients are administered the lowest planned dose and observed for side effects over a period of time. If the low dose is tolerated, another group of patients are enrolled at a higher dose level and observed for side effects. Escalating doses of the drug are given to more patients until the maximum tolerated dose is determined. An analysis of the effectiveness against specific cancers is undertaken once the maximum dose is achieved. It is important to understand that not all cancers will respond to any given agent. Only five to ten percent of Phase I agents are effective enough to proceed to the next level.
Phase 2 Clinical Trials: Does the treatment work?
Phase 2 trials have more selective enrollment requirements. The inclusion criteria are based on tumor types that appeared to respond to the Phase 1 trial and often places a restriction on the number of different treatment regimens a patient previously received for their cancer. These patients usually have advanced-stage cancer and are relatively asymptomatic. Many patients are enrolled in a Phase II trial because one of the primary end-points is to prove effectiveness with acceptable side effects. If a reasonable response rate is seen at the Phase II level, the experimental drug or combination can proceed to a Phase 3 trial.
Phase 3: Is the treatment better than what’s available?
Usually, promising drugs undergo FDA approval during phase 3 trials. A Phase III trial usually represents the final destination for a new drug or combination. At this level, the experimental study can be designed for patients with early-stage disease, where a cure is being sought, or more advanced stage cancers where prolongation of life is the goal. Participants are randomly assigned to standard of care chemotherapy or the experimental drug(s). The patients and physicians are blinded to the regimen the patient is receiving. A larger number of patients are enrolled, and the study could take years to complete. The experimental drug(s) can become a new standard of care if they are more effective than the current standard of care, or equivalent but less toxic.
Phase 4: What else can researchers learn about FDA-approved treatments?
In Phase 4 cancer clinical trials, the cancer therapy is tested after it has been approved for a specific use. They are used to collect information about a therapy’s long-term effect on the patient’s quality of life, length of life and any unexpected long-term side effects.
Phase 4 trials may also be used to try new combinations of approved therapies to determine if there are better outcomes.
Most cancer patients who participate in clinical trials in the community setting will join during phases 2 or 3 when researchers are evaluating the effectiveness of new dosages, new combinations of drugs or new uses for existing drugs. Because of this the studies are considered very safe for patients and offer options when other treatments haven’t been effective.
How Do You Participate in a Cancer Research Trial?
You and your oncologist can discuss the potential option of a clinical trial when discussing treatment options. Trials may not be right for all patients. If there is a clinical trial that your doctor and you feel would be right for you, and you agree to participate (you’ll never be added to a trial without your knowledge), you will be carefully monitored throughout the entire process of treatment. This may require more visits than a typical patient would have.
The research team will also contact you regularly after treatment is complete to see how effective it is in the long run.
Who Pays for the Clinical Trial?
Typically there’s no extra cost to the patient for this additional care. The clinical research team will carefully go over this with you.
Many patients who are asked to participate in a clinical trial believe all their care will be paid for through the study. The reality is that only part of their care might be covered. The trial sponsor would provide additional medications as well as funding to cover additional costs considered outside the standard of care practices. Insurance companies are still required to pay for the components of a patient’s care that are considered the standard of care i.e. routine provider visits, laboratory tests, radiographic imaging and prescription medication.
Questions and Concerns About Participating in a Clinical Trial
Because participating in a clinical trial is a different process, there are questions you may have. One concern may be side effects of treatment. Every patient reacts differently, and with new drug combinations or doses there may be new side effects for your oncologist to address. If you participate in a clinical trial but have a poor response, your treatment plan will be changed based on the other options that are available.
If you’re considering participating in a clinical cancer trial, discuss your questions, concerns and expectations with your doctor. Some questions to ask include:
How will my side effects be managed?
What happens if I have a poor response while on the clinical trial?
What’s the purpose of the study?
Is the trial testing new dosages or combinations of a drug that is already FDA-approved, or is it testing a new therapy?
How will I know if I’m qualified to participate?
What will I have to do as a participant? Is there a large time commitment on my part?
How long will the study last?
What type of side effects do you expect?
Will it cost me anything to participate?
Will the researchers tell me the results of the study?
If the treatment is effective for my cancer, can I still get it after the study?
What are the Benefits of Participating in a Clinical Trial for Cancer?
Commonly prescribed medications such as analgesics, antibiotics, and inhalers have gone through the rigorous process of clinical trial investigations. Participation in clinical trials has become an international phenomenon that improves the health of communities. Choosing to enter a clinical trial may provide the benefit of having another opportunity to treat your disease with a non-standard of care option. It is the participation of our friends, neighbors, colleagues, family and strangers that provide us with access to medications and diagnostic tests that have improved the quality of life for all.
If you’re interested in learning about clinical trials appropriate for your specific diagnosis, we encourage you to contact us at Arizona Oncology. We provide Arizona cancer patients access to cutting-edge, innovative cancer clinical trials in a comfortable, convenient setting. Arizona Oncology has locations in and around Northern and Southern Arizona.
In the battle against skin cancer, information is one of the key weapons in your arsenal. With an overwhelming variety of cancer-related articles on the Internet, it’s often hard to tell what’s real and what isn’t.
Let’s debunk the most common skin cancer myths and discuss trusted information sources to help you with further research.
Myth 1: Dark-skinned population doesn’t suffer from skin cancer.
Truth: People suffer from skin cancer regardless of their skin color. According to a study published by the American Cancer Society in 2019, the 5-year relative survival rate for white patients was 94%. For black patients, it was 66%.
The dark-skinned population doesn’t suffer from skin cancer as often as light-skinned people do. However, lack of awareness often leads to late diagnosis, making the survival rate lower. Since the chances of getting skin cancer for dark-skinned individuals is lower, people may not focus on routine screening enough.
This myth is highly dangerous since it can make dark-skinned individuals ignore important health checks. To catch problem areas early, it’s vital to perform a full-body inspection monthly.
Myth 2: After eliminating sun exposure, I can stop worrying about skin cancer.
Truth: Sun exposure is only one of several factors that can lead to skin cancer development. The others include:
Family history – since the chances of developing skin cancer depend on the skin type, if the condition runs in the family, a person may develop it as well. Further research is currently being done to determine which genes may be responsible for increasing the risk of melanoma.
Other UV-light exposure – it’s possible to receive high amounts of UV exposure from tanning beds and occupational equipment. It’s important to understand that the culprit isn’t the sun. It’s UV rays. Anything producing UV rays can be a potential hazard.
It’s worth stressing that a tanning bed isn’t less dangerous than sun exposure. Your skin receives the exact same UV rays.
Truth: According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 100 is very slight. Raising the sun protection factor is often a marketing trick, which gives you a false sense of protection.
In reality, sunscreens with SPF 30 block out 97% of harmful UV rays. SPF 50 protects you against 98% of UV rays. SPF 100 can absorb up to 99% of UV rays.
This myth is highly dangerous because people feel falsely protected against the sun and tend to stay outdoors longer. Even the highest sun protection factor can’t keep you 100% safe. The best way to avoid skin cancer is to stay out of the sun or wear protective clothing.
Myth 4: People who rarely get sunburned are at a lower risk of getting cancer.
Truth: A healthy suntan doesn’t exist. Even if you tan easily and never get sunburned, you can get skin cancer.
There is some truth in the above-mentioned myth. Skin type is a major component of skin cancer risks. According to the World Health Organization, people with fair skin are at a bigger risk for skin cancer.
However, excessive sun exposure damages your skin even if you don’t feel it. No matter what skin type you have, the risk of acquiring skin cancer is always present.
This myth is highly dangerous. People who suntan easily and don’t get burned may be spending more time in the sun since they don’t feel its effect. This high degree of carelessness can lead to serious consequences.
Even if you don’t feel sunburned, you are at risk of getting skin cancer.
Myth 5: If you’re young, you don’t need to worry about skin cancer. It affects older people only.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the majority of skin cancer sufferers fall into the 80-84 age group. However, people as young as 15 can acquire skin cancer.
One of the reasons why older people are at a higher risk of getting skin cancer is the cumulative effect of sun exposure. Meanwhile, people with weak immune systems and other risk factors may not need excessive sun exposure to suffer from its consequences.
Myth 6: Sun exposure is less dangerous when the sky is cloudy.
Truth: When the day is cloudy, the sun doesn’t go anywhere. It continues to shine above the clouds, sending harmful UV rays to the surface. While cloud cover may reduce sun exposure, it doesn’t eliminate it entirely. That’s why it’s important to maintain the same level of sun protection when it’s cloudy outside.
When the sky is fully covered by clouds, sun exposure is lower. However, broken and scattered clouds don’t provide much protection.
Myth 7: Skin cancer appears only on those parts of the body that were exposed to the sun.
Truth: Skin cancer can appear on any part of the body, including feet soles, palms, underneath the fingernails/toenails, and on the genitals. That’s why it’s important to inspect the entire body for the signs of skin cancer regularly.
Trusted Sources of Information
It’s tempting to believe in some of the common myths surrounding skin cancer. However, when it comes to your health, it’s important to use trusted sources. If you want to conduct online research, take advantage of the following trusted websites:
More people than ever are working from home. Some of the perks that come with this working from home include flexible hours, spending more time with family, and leaving your commute behind. Unfortunately, you could also be exposing yourself to additional skin cancer risks that you don’t normally face. Watch for these risks and use practical tips to prevent extra sun exposure while working from home.
1. You’re More Relaxed
Relaxing definitely doesn’t put you at a higher risk of cancer. However, as you make changes to your daily routine, you may relax certain daily habits that go along with your work schedule. For many people, the daily application of sunscreen comes during the process of getting ready for work. Changing that schedule could mean forgetting this essential protection. With practically 300 sunny days in Arizona each year, letting your guard down means letting skin cancer risks in.
Maintaining Important Health Regimens
There’s no denying that a flexible schedule is one of the biggest benefits of working from home. Still, your health should never take a back seat. No matter what your daily routine looks like, make sunscreen application a priority. Associate sunscreen with another morning habit you never forget like taking medication or brushing your teeth.
2. Working Outside the Office
Even if your workplace promotes the most flexible working style in the area, most work hours are spent indoors. The flexibility of working from home may inspire you to take breaks outside, take walks during the day for exercise, or work outdoors on your deck or patio. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Many workers are accustomed to spending this time inside the workplace. When you’re not spending these hours within the confines of a work building, you are likely accumulating extra hours of sun exposure.
Staying Safe Out of the Office
Learning the facts about skin cancer and the most effective ways to prevent it is key to avoiding dangerous habits. Chart the unexpected time you’re spending outdoors and how often you apply sunscreen. For sunscreen to be effective, it must be used correctly. Use these tips to get the best defense with sunscreen.
Apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors.
Use sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.
Get a new bottle of sunscreen each year. The ingredients in sunscreen break down over time and become less effective.
Use a teaspoon for your face and neck and enough to fill a shot glass for the rest of your body. When in doubt, add more.
Reapply sunscreen every 90 minutes while outdoors. Always reapply sunscreen after swimming or after excessive sweating.
Don’t skip those easily forgotten places like your ears, the back of your neck, and tops of your feet.
Use sunscreen even on cloudy days.
3. Spending Time Outside With the Kids
You’re not at work and the kids aren’t at school. Suddenly, your priorities shift and everyone is outdoors in the Arizona sunshine. There is an abundance of benefits to spending time outside like exercise and fresh air, but these extra hours outdoors add up when it comes to sun exposure. An hour or two of unplanned time outdoors can lead to dangerous sunburns and skin damage. Even a few sunburns can increase your children’s risk of skin cancer.
Safe Skin Habits for You and Your Children
Safe health habits start early and remain consistent. The same way you stop to wash your hands before eating or put on a jacket when there’s a chill in the air, you should stop to put on sunscreen before going outdoors. Sunscreen should be applied to dry skin at least 15 minutes before going outside and reapplied every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating. Additional ways to stay safe include spending time in the shade, wearing protective clothing, and wearing a hat and sunglasses.
4. Lack of Task Lighting
If you’ve recently moved from a brightly lit workplace, your new “office space” might be right next to a window to take advantage of natural light. While natural light is often preferable to harsh fluorescent lighting, dangerous UV rays can penetrate glass to cause damage to your skin and put you at a higher risk for skin cancer.
Safe Use of Natural Lighting
Eliminating natural light completely would be a shameful waste of Arizona’s natural resources. Glass does provide some protection from the sun’s rays, so you don’t need to board up the windows. Applying sunscreen daily and sitting by a window that doesn’t provide direct sunlight is likely enough to protect your skin indoors. If your only home office option is near a window that sees an abundance of direct lighting, consider UV blocking window film for added protection.
5. No More Uniforms
Whether your workplace requires a standard uniform, business attire, or certain dress code rules, that wardrobe goes out the window when you work from home. Your personal wardrobe reflects your sense of style and, more often than not, the weather outdoors. Unfortunately, this often means that your casual clothing leaves more skin exposed to the elements than the clothes you typically wear to work.
A Uniform for Working Outdoors
You don’t need a uniform to work at home, but a type of dress code is necessary when you’re spending time outdoors. Your best line of defense against the sun’s harmful rays is a physical barrier of clothing. Tightly woven dark fabrics provide the most protection. Additional accessories can add an extra layer of protection. A wide brim hat and sunglasses provide a shield for delicate facial skin.
Working from home means a change in your routine. While you’re getting used to these changes, it’s important to take precautions that will protect your skin from the sun’s dangerous UV rays. Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosis and also the most preventable. Forming habits to protect your skin is the best way to prevent a skin cancer diagnosis.
