May Is Skin Cancer Awareness Month

MIAMI (CBS4) - In South Florida we are spoiled by with beautiful weather year round and seemingly endless days of sunshine. But those perks come with a major health risk – skin cancer.

May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

Skin cancer is more common than colon, prostate and breast cancers but the difference is that it is preventable.

"Ninety percent of skin cancers are caused by the sun," said dermatologist Dr. Debra Price.

Michelle Rosen said doctors first diagnosed her skin cancer when she was 28-years old. Now at 64-years old, she had endured more than 40 surgeries to remove skin cancers from all over her body; 20 of those surgeries have been on her face.

"I'm a native Floridian from northwest Florida and summers were spent on the beach," said Rosen.

SkinCancer.org reports one in five people are diagnosed with skin cancer every year; one in 55 people are diagnosed with the most deadly form – melanoma. Dr. Price says skin cancer can develop in anyone at any age.

"We see people in their 20s with skin cancer, so you really can't say because you are young it's not a problem for you," said Dr. Price.

Experts say prevention is key – make sure you use sun screen with the appropriate SPF from head to toe if you are going to be outside. The good news is if skin cancer is caught early, it is 99 percent curable.