Cancer sucks. It sucks the life out of you. Anybody that contracts it in any form should be very pro-active in addressing the issues. I recently had a sixth hole put into my otherwise empty head when the cancer specialists whacked away at my nose to remove some cancer from the driver's side of the nose.

Fair warning; use sun screen, even in the car. I live in the cancer capital of the world, good old sunny Florida. Since I am of Lebanese descent, my complexion is darker than my fair haired wife, so I always assumed that I was exempt from the risks that she endures every day. Wrong!

I could understand if I was on a practice field for several hours a day like my son Cory, who is as a St. Cloud football coach. To his credit, even in the dead of summer Cory wears long sleeve shirts and a wide brim hat to protect his body as much as possible from the sun's harsh rays. Still, the risk of skin cancer is very real and a major concern to all the coaches who spend hours on the field every day.

Repeated exposure to bright sunlight is a major cause of skin cancer, especially when the sun reflects off snow or water. Sunburn, especially blistering sunburns during childhood. Skin creams or lotions that contain tar are a cancer risk, especially if used over a long period of time (these creams are medicines used to treat certain skin problems, such as psoriasis). Another risk is exposure to organic arsenic, which may be in pesticides and other chemicals. Still another is radiation therapy or chemotherapy for cancer.

If any of your close relatives have had malignant melanoma or premalignant skin spots, you may have a higher risk for developing skin cancer. If you have freckles or fair skin that doesn't tan easily, you may be at risk.

Here are some quick tips that EVERYONE needs to consider, regardless of how little you expose yourself to the sun's harsh rays:

• Limit your time in bright sunlight.
• Take advantage of whatever shade is available when you're outside.
• Wear cool clothing that covers as much of your body as possible when you're outside. Apply protective sun block with a skin protection factor (SPF) of at least 15 to the parts of your skin that can't be covered by clothes. This is very important if you're going to be near the water or snow.
• Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and eyelids.
• Wear lipstick or balm with sun block to protect your lips.
• If your skin is starting to redden from too much sun, go indoors as soon as possible.
• Don't use tanning booths.
• Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of using any skin lotions that contain tar.
• Avoid exposure to chemicals that contain organic arsenic, such as pesticides and herbicides (poison to kill bugs and weeds). Not all of these poisons contain arsenic, but some do.

I am a very typical first time skin cancer patient. I didn't know what I didn't know, which is not an excuse. Learn from my ignorance and don't replicate my mistakes. Fortunately for me, I'm catching my problem early enough, and another hole in my head is a small price to pay for my previous negligence. Since the aforementioned head contains very little, I don't expect much to leak out.

Most skin cancers grow slowly. By finding them early and having them removed, you may lessen the chances of the cancer spreading to other parts of your body or scarring your body. You should check your entire body, including your lips and eyelids, at least every six months. You may need some help checking your scalp, your back and the backs of your thighs. If one of your close family members has had skin cancer, or if you have freckles or very fair skin, you should ask your doctor to check your skin every year.

Educate yourself and beware of the following:

• Any rough or red, bumpy area on your skin that's bigger than the head of a match and doesn't clear up.
• Any area of skin that stays irritated or inflamed (red and itchy).
• Any ulcer (sore) that doesn't heal in two weeks.
• Any area that keeps cracking or bleeding.
• Any colored spot that's getting bigger.
• Any brown or black spot that's wider than 1/4 inch (the size of a pencil eraser) or is changing color or size.