Even thought the week ahead will be on the cool side, temperatures will be on the rise again soon in Pennsylvania, and so will skin cancer rates, with instances of melanoma up 2.3 percent in men, and 2.5 percent in women.

The American Cancer Society wants to make sure people stay safe in the sun this summer. Yolanda Wide, health initiatives coordinator for the ACS, recommends wearing sunscreen with a skin protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 when they're outdoors, and reapplying it hourly. And if you are concerned about a mole that doesn't look right, don't hesitate to check it out.


Wide says to stay away from tanning beds, and tell young friends and relatives to do the same.



Wide says when looking at moles, remember ABCD, things a doctor should check. "A" stands for asymmetrical...


And, "D" stands for diameter. Wide says if a mole is the size of a pencil eraser or larger, it should be examined.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates more than 2000 Pennsylvanians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer this year. Wide notes that, while more cases are being diagnosed, the death rate is decreasing. Still, the American Cancer Society estimates about 12,000 people will die from skin cancer in 2012.

More information is at www.cancer.org. More Pennsylvania-specific figures are at www.epa.gov.