Moving into summertime, for many, means increased sun exposure, so it’s pretty good timing that May, the gateway month to summer, is Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Prevention guidelines can be found at skincancer.org and include staying in the shade, avoiding tanning, and protecting your skin with clothing and sunscreen. More guidelines and tips can be found here. However, as noted in washingtonpost.com, prevention guidelines aren’t exactly universal. It turns out that sunscreen is not effective in preventing melanoma in darker-skinned people. While melanoma is a risk for all skin types, those with dark skin or of African descent, usually develop melanoma known as acral lentiginous melanomas which develops in parts of the body that don’t get much sun exposure, such as the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet. Of course, sunscreen use is still recommended for people with all skin types to prevent other sun-related damage, and it’s important to talk to your skincare professional about whether or not sunscreen is the best prevention option for you. Find out more here.

Summertime also tends to include barbecues and picnics, but you might want to think twice about what food you’re packing for the potluck, according to a new study reported in livescience.com. The study researchers estimated that more than 80,000 U.S. cancer cases diagnosed each year might be related to an unhealthy diet. The diets known to be related to cancer risk are low in whole grains, dairy, fruits, and vegetables, and high in processed meats, red meats, and sugary drinks. The cancers most closely-related to diet were colorectal, cancers of the mouth, pharynx and larynx, uterine cancer, and postmenopausal breast cancer. Adults ages 45 to 64 had the highest rate of diet-related cancer. More information about the study can be found here.

There is also increasing evidence that diet can help with cancer treatment, says theatlantic.com. Doctors are starting to look at how the food we eat could affect the cancer cells in our bodies and how what we eat may assist in treatment or preventing cancer cells from growing. Of course, because cancer is a very varied disease, there is no one diet that is best. Different nutrients, or the absence of them, affect different cancers in different ways. The promise is that doctors are starting to uncover the relationship between foods and cancers and how we can best utilize our diets for good health. More information can be found here.

In addition, straitstimes.com further explores the relationship with food and cancer. Researchers in Singapore found a link between a nutrient known as methionine, often in meat, fish and dairy products, and cancer. They discovered that cancer stem cells use methionine as fuel, but when they “starved” lung cancer cells of methionine for 48 hours, they saw a 94 percent reduction in the size of the tumors. The information is promising for the future of cancer treatment. More information can be found here.

No matter what is in your picnic basket or what kind of sunscreen you use, you can enjoy your summer with the knowledge that you are doing your part in being a hero in your own story — much like a young super hero named Wyatt who, during his fourth round of chemo, learned that his dreams would come true in a music video that involved fast cars, battling the bad guys, and pizza. It’s a feel-good story that feels just right for summer. You can read all about Wyatt here. It’s guaranteed to put a smile on your face as bright as the summer sun.

Jennifer Lessinger

Jennifer Lessinger is a professional writer and editor who learned the value of patient empowerment during her struggle with a hard-to-diagnose and complex endocrine disorder.