Dear NP

Dear NP,

“Can you tell me what skin cancer looks like? My mother died from skin cancer that spread to the underlying bones. What can I do to help prevent skin cancer other than sunscreen? I am 48 years old.”

Dear Reader,

Skin cancer is the most common cancer type in the world. In the United States, one out of every five persons will develop skin cancer by the age of 70. More than two people will die of skin cancer in the U.S. every hour.

While these statistics are frightening, finding and treating skin cancers early can yield very good results. The five-year survival rate for melanoma...