hello, i’m dr. adler. i’m here to talkabout the body’s skin and, more specifically, skin cancer. skin cancer is the most commonform of cancer in the united states. each year there are more new cases of skin cancerthan breast, prostate, lung and colon cancers combined. one in five americans will developskin cancer in the course of their lifetime. since skin cancer is so widespread, earlydetection and treatment are vitally important. and prevention is even more important. as our largest organ, the skin protects againstheat, light, injury and infection. it also helps control body temperature, stores waterand fat, and makes vitamin d. our skin has multiple layers, but the two main layers arethe epidermis, which is the upper or outer
layer, and the dermis, which is the loweror inner layer. the body’s skin generally weighs between six and nine pounds, whichis comparable to the weight of a gallon of milk. the surface area of the skin is approximatelytwo square yards, which is about the size of the top of a king size bed. the skin has the tough job of protecting ourinternal organs from the environment. repetitive
exposure to harmful things can, over time,damage skin cells and cause skin cancer. ultra-violet radiation from the sun is the most harmfulforce that people are often exposed to. keep in mind, though, that most skin cancersare treatable and not life threatening when detected and diagnosed early.
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