What to know about melanoma in outdoor workers

Melanoma is a skin cancer that can begin in pigment-producing cells. Repeated ultraviolet exposure during outdoor work adds to the need for careful skin awareness, including on the scalp, ears, neck, hands and areas covered by work equipment. Melanoma may appear in an existing mole or as a new mark. It can be darker, uneven, or unlike the other spots on your skin, but colour alone cannot confirm or exclude it.

Use shade for breaks when practical, wear tightly woven protective clothing, a broad-brimmed hat and eye protection, and apply broad-spectrum sunscreen to uncovered skin as directed on its label. Reapply after heavy sweating or washing. Check your skin regularly with a mirror or help from someone you trust, and record a photograph of a spot that is difficult to monitor. Arrange a dermatology review for a new or changing lesion rather than waiting for it to become painful.

Seek prompt medical assessment if a mark changes in size, shape or colour, develops several shades, bleeds, crusts, itches persistently, or fails to heal. A dark streak under a nail or a new mark on a less sun-exposed area also warrants review. Rapid change, spontaneous bleeding or an open sore should be assessed without delay.

Ask whether the lesion needs dermoscopy or biopsy, how often your skin should be checked given your work, which exposed sites need attention, and how to make protective clothing and sunscreen practical on shift.