Reminder From Main Line Doctor: Put Sunscreen On Exposed Feet!
ARDMORE, Pa. (CBS) - With summer in full swing, there's a warning to make sure to put sunscreen in a place too often ignored.
Maybe the feet are the Rodney Dangerfields of body parts -- they don't get no respect.
But they do get respect from Main Line podiatrist Eric Ricefield, who notes that feet are more exposed to sun this time of year -- not just on the beach but in sandals and flip-flops. So, he says, suncreen is a must.
Checking for cancer and pre-cancerous spots is part of his regular exams, and he urges you to look for them on your own.
"Skin cancers on the feet have a worse fatality rate within five years of diagnosis compared to other skin cancers elsewhere on the body, mostly because of the delay in diagnosis and recognition," Ricefield tells KYW Newsradio.
Ricefield says he has discovered only eight to ten cases of skin cancer on feet in 22 years of practice, but once someone who came in for an ingrown toenail eventually died because of the skin cancer discovered too late.
Reported by John Ostapkovich, KYW Newsradio 1060
