Runners with skin cancer?

I wouldn't recommend running shirtless. However, I'm biased regarding this topic and regret my sun exposure choices when I was young. I have had skin cancer removed from my arms, face, and legs. My problems with skin cancer began in my late twenties and I have at least 30 cancers removed. Removal of smaller cancers have not left large scars, but radiation from one and the surgical removal of a couple others have resulted in 3-4 inch scars.

Every other year or so, I use "Carac" or most recently "Zyclara" creams on my arms, chest, face, and hands. The treatment is fairly brutal - redness, blistering, peeling skin, etc. The treatment is to remove precancerous lesions.

My advice - stay out of the sun as much as possible. If outside, where protective clothing and a good sunscreen.

bump I'm also interested in this

I think it's a combination of genetics and sun exposure, especially sunburns. I lost a half-brother to it when he was 43, I am 55 and have been running 40 years, usually shirtless in the summer (albeit in the Pacific NW), and spend an inordinate amount of the summer outdoors. Never had anything, and generally my skin looks a lot better than people a decade younger or more, especially "outdoors" people.

I use sunscreen like a sacrament, avoid burning like plague, and cringe when I see friends with burns or even deep tans. The aging effect alone is enough for me to keep SPF 40 at hand all through the day.

Is sunscreen the answer? I've gotten slack for being out & using sunscreen because they say it has chemicals that cause cancer. I've also gotten slack for being fair skinned & not using sunscreen. Also I've read that lack of sun causes cancer. What a dilemma.

No dilemma here. Use sunscreen. Get some sun but not too much and be smart. If being outside is the biggest problem in your life, you've got it easy, baby! Made in the shade! lol @ my comment/pun.

Well, I have some spots like face and neck that burn, so I use sunscreen on any run where I'll have full sun exposure. If I'm running on a heavily wooded trail, I skip it. Some sun = good; too much, especially if you tend to burn = bad.

Have blue eyes and fair hair. Ran 35 years without a shirt from

may-sept. Started developing spots on back and chest 1 that

required MOHs surgery. Thought I was taken care of next app. 6

months. Not a month later a small mole on my neck went nuts. Got

back in to my doc. She said no big deal but I'll biopsy it in case. Week

later got the dreaded call. Doc asks if I am sitting down. Uh yea? Well

sir you have mellanoma stage bla bla bla. 30,000 later surgery lymph

node removals I'm lucky for now. Know then what I know now

would I do it different? Who knows. When your a young bulletproof

runner you say, can't happen to me.

I had no family history of this at all. So yes it can happen

When I was young I spent most of my Summers through high school and college at the beach shirtless and before the age of sunscreen. I now have a steady stream of non-malignant skin cancers cut or burned off my head, shoulders and arms every 6 months. If you want to run shirtless, there are plenty of effective sunscreens now. A little tanning and vitamin D production is fine. Getting burned is not so fine and will have long term consequences like mine.

use your sunscreen - no matter how much it interferes w/ cooling. I'm paying the price now. Last year: squameous (sp) off the nose, then treated w/ efudex 5% for 6 wks. - terrible experience; presently, efudex on entire face for 3 wks. Sins of my youth - I know. I can't wait for next year...

ian, i'd go for good sunscreen rather than clothes...you don't want anybody missing out on those speedo runs. :)

Run in the morning or evening, not in the middle of the day when there is a blazing sun.

Well, thanks to this thread I will run with sunscreen now.

"I think it's a combination of genetics and sun exposure, especially sunburns."

This person has it right. Very light skinned here as was my father. He was a WWII guy stationed in north Africa. Multiple skin cancer surgeries over the last 5 years. It's a wonder he's still alive at age 85.

Now for me. Age 59. Athlete all my life and never used sunscreen until about 5 years ago. In teens/early 20's it was "cool" to have a tan so that's what I did. As a kid, my parents didn't know any better so I used to get huge sunburn blisters!

Two skin surgeries later, and probably more on the way, I ALWAYS use sunscreen, a hat and now wear long sleeve tek shirts until it gets really hot/humid. Yes, also had to use the Efudex on my face (NASTY!) and arms.

I say it's ok to go shirtless BUT you better have the sunscreen on.

BTW, yes it is good to get about 20-30 minutes of sunlight

for vitamin D but it doesn't have to be direct.

"Sunscreen causes cancer" falls into roughly the same category as "seatbelts cause more deaths" or "I drive better after a few drinks". I've used it since it became available in the '70's and it's likely that if I didn't I would probably be dead right now, given my fair skin and family history- not to mention I look WAY younger than the leathery-skinned types my age that stayed "natural".

what to do wrote:

Is sunscreen the answer? I've gotten slack for being out & using sunscreen because they say it has chemicals that cause cancer. I've also gotten slack for being fair skinned & not using sunscreen. Also I've read that lack of sun causes cancer. What a dilemma.

I had malignant melanoma at age 20. Damage was done when I was younger. I don't run without sunscreen or between the hours of 10am-4pm when the sun is the strongest in the summer. Luckily I too live in the PNW so sun isn't as big of an issue outside of the summer.

Your life isn't worth being tan. Believe me, it's not even worth the scare.

Same boat here as several other posters. I am fair skinned and had more than my share of sun burns when I was younger. I'm in my forties now and am starting to pay the price. I've had several pre cancerous spots removed but so far nothing serious. I still run shirtless and am trying to get into the habit of using sunscreen on a daily basis.

Well I'm not fair skinned and still got it. They took so much skin off

the melanoma on my neck they thought they would have to do a skin

graft on my neck. Instead they pulled it so tight i could barely move

my head up down or side to side. Still hurts 3 months later. Least

I'm not dead like Bill Cowerh's wife who died in months.

Pam Reed

http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=TD&Date=20060928&Category=Sports&ArtNo=109280040&Ref=AR&maxw=300&MaxH=300

This is a runner's health topic that is SERIOUSLY underdiscussed.