Giving Compass' Take:

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center debunks 7 common myths about skin cancer that keep people from protecting themselves.

• How can philanthropy help to spread the word about these myths? 

• Find out how myth-busting is improving healthcare for women in Kenya.

As the weather heats up and the sunny outdoors beckons, throw some knowledge about skin cancer into your beach bag along with your towel and flip-flops. This year, millions of Americans will get skin cancer, and thousands will die from it. But everyone can take steps to lower their risk.

Even with the summer sun in its full glory, the most dangerous myths on the minds of Fred Hutch experts right now involve indoor tanning.

There are so many harmful myths floating around about tanning salons that it’s hard to know which ones to tackle first:

  • Myth 1: Tanning beds are safer than the sun.
  • Myth 2: I can protect myself by getting a ‘base tan’ at a salon.
  • Myth 3: It’s OK as long as I’m not a frequent user of a tanning salon.
  • Myth 4: I need to get out in the sun without sunscreen to get my vitamin D.
  • Myth 5: After a long, dark winter, it’s not so bad to enjoy a little bit of sun without sunscreen for once.
  • Myth 6: I’m definitely applying my sunscreen correctly.
  • Myth 7: Skin cancer is not that big of a deal.

“When someone around you tells you, ‘You should have that checked out,’ they’re probably right,” Cranmer said.

Read the full article about skin cancer myths by Susan Keown at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.