May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, which is the ideal time to learn more about the most common type of cancer in the United States.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, more than five million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. Fortunately, it’s one of the most preventable forms.

About 90% of nonmelanoma cancers and 85% of melanoma cases are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, so being sun-smart and avoiding exposure is one step in the direction of prevention.

But Lisa Lynn, a fitness and nutrition expert who was Martha Stewart’s personal trainer for 13 years and a melanoma survivor herself, tells Newsmax that it’s not only the sun that causes this potentially deadly disease. Tanning beds also cause cancer.

In fact, according to the American Academy of Dermatology, indoor tanning may cause as many as 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S. each year. Using indoor tanning beds before age 35 can increase your risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by a whopping 59% — and that risk increases with each use.

Although the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends using sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, experts admit that sunscreen alone is not enough to protect you against skin cancer.

Lynn, co-author of “Win the Fight: Stomp Out Melanoma,” says that early detection is key in preventing the progression of the disease and increasing your odds of survival.

“Skin self-checks are an early warning system,” she notes. “Patients find most melanomas [themselves], so it is important to take responsibility. Mark all your moles and record them on your cell phone or piece of paper. Mark the position of each mole, freckle, birthmark, bump, or scaly patch you see by making a dot on a body map.”

Lynn recommends dating each self-check, and doing another body scan a few months later to see if there have been any changes.

“I enter mine in my Google calendar and set alarm alerts as a reminder, so I don’t forget,” she adds.

It’s also important to know the ABCDE’s of melanoma to spot a potential problem on a mole or growth you are tracking. If any of your moles, brown spots, or growths have one or more of these early warning signs, make an appointment with your doctor.

• Asymmetry. If you can draw a straight line through the mole and both sides are similar, its probably benign. But if the two halves do not match, this may be a warning sign of melanoma.
• Border. The borders of an early melanoma tend to be uneven and may appear to be scalloped or notched, while benign moles have even edges.
• Color. Most benign moles are all one color, often a single shade of brown. But having a variety of color in one mole is another warning sign of cancer. A number of different shades of brown, black, or tan may appear. A melanoma may even appear as red, white, and blue.
• Diameter. “Most melanomas are larger than one-quarter inch, or 6 millimeters,” says Lynn. “That’s about the size of a small pencil eraser.”
• Evolution. “Changes in a mole mean it is growing, and that is one of the most important things to look for,” says Lynn. “It is imperative to keep a close watch for any moles or spots on the skin that change in shape, size, or color. See your doctor right away if this happens.” Other dangerous changes include bleeding, itching, or crusting.