Cloudy Oregon doesn’t protect you from melanoma – Statesman Journal

Erik Kokkonen, Special to the Statesman Journal - Published 2:02 p.m. PT March 17, 2017 | Updated 2:39 p.m. PT March 17, 2017

“Did you know that skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States? It is estimated that more than 9,500 people are diagnosed with skin cancer every day and will affect about one in five Americans in their lifetime. Skin cancer can develop any time of the year, even during the cloudy days of winter.

What’s the difference between skin cancer and melanoma? Melanoma is one type of skin cancer, and though it only represents about 1 percent of all skin cancers, melanoma causes the most skin cancer deaths.

Do I need to worry about skin cancer/melanoma in Oregon? Yes! One of the biggest misconceptions is that since Oregon has fewer sunny days than many U.S cities, sun exposure is not a big deal.”

Read Valley View Dermatology’s Dr Kokkonen’s full article here!