Male Speaker: There is no longer a safe steroid assumption that all basal cell cancer, squamous cancer, these are something that very old people get from a life time in this. They are extremely common.

Male Speaker 1: As fall arrives the memory of summer fun maybe fadding as quickly as your golden tan, but the side effects could linger. Survey show that Americans are not as diligent as they should be about protecting their skin from the sun’s sinister side effects, leaving themselves, sun damaged. We love to have fun in the sun, despite the risks.

Keith Flaherty: Squamous cell and basal cells skin cancers are also clearly sun related types of cancers.

Male Speaker 1: As is melanoma.

Keith Flaherty: They are the most serious source of skin cancer.

Male Speaker 1: Every year one million new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed. The number of cases increases 5% each year.

Scott Lindstam: I just spend as much time on the water as I can other than work.

Male Speaker 1: All that time outdoors gave Scott Lindstam a decent tan, and a spot on his ear that he ignored.

Scott Lindstam: If you wait as long as I did, don't want to know what it is, then you could be losing a body part. That's all it is.

Male Speaker 1: His cancer was so severe, his ear had to be removed, today Scott wears a prosthetic.

Scott Lindstam: I don't wish anybody go through it, it's scary.

Male Speaker 1: But you don't have to be a sun worshiper to feel its ill effects.

Jeremy Smithberger: I live in Florida and I probably haven’t been to the beach in two years.

Male Speaker 1: Jeremy Smithberger spends his work day in and out of his car.

Jeremy Smithberger: I don't like sunbath or anything. I suppose it's just a normal exposure.

Male Speaker 1: When he noticed a couple of strange spots on his face, Jeremy saw a dermatologist.

Jeremy Smithberger: They called me and told me that it was basal cell skin cancer on my forehead.

Male Speaker: Instead of surgery Jeremy opted to use a Imiquimod, an immune response modifier.

Vernon Sondak: We have been able to create some drugs that target those receptors and basically trigger the immune system into thinking here is something dangerous, here is something I need to react to.

Male Speaker: First used to treat warts, the drug was found to be effective in treating basal cell cancer, and actinic keratosis or AK.

Vernon Sondak: Actinic keratosis is one form of pre cancer skin condition, that if not treated and if patient continues to get sun exposure, will frequently turn into a type of skin cancer.

Male Speaker: Here is a very, very large neglected one.

Male Speaker 1: Because of it's strength, Imiquimod can have side effects.

Vernon Sondak: A lot of redness, a lot of swelling sometime, and even an ulcer that can take some time to heal.

Male Speaker 1: That's why doctor take serious precautions when the drug is used for either AK or basal cell cancer on the face.

Jeremy Smithberger: It became all red and everything. It looked like a scab; you can tell that it was working. It healed up and it's gone now. So I was really happy that I didn't have to have a surgery in my eyebrow I raised and everything.

Male Speaker 1: Ron Mercier's spotty skin, there are signs of years spent in the sun. Yet he has not turned to a blind eye to his risk.

Ron Mercier: My father died of cancer. I have had two bouts of lip cancer that have been surgically removed.

Male Speaker 1: Ron is taking part in a study that's using this laser to resurface his sun damage skin.

Jeffrey Orringer: This carbon dioxide laser has been used for many years now to treat many of the clinical signs of sun damage. So wrinkles, sun spots and alike. So our hope is that the treatment will also make the skin healthier from the skin cancer prevention perspective.

Male Speaker 1: Ron hopes his participation in the study can help himself and others.

Ron Mercier: If they can come up with a way to take away the potential for cancer, then that's fine; that's something that I would be really proud of.

Male Speaker 1: Doctors want you to know, everyone is a potential patient.

Vernon Sondak: I see 30-year-old woman with basal cell cancers. We see children with melanoma.

Scott Lindstam: This can happen to anybody. I love the outdoors and if you don't pay attention to the outdoors this is what could happen.

Male Speaker 1: Changes in your skin could be a sign of actinic keratosis or early basal cell carcinoma. If you see a suspicious change in the color, size, or elevation of moles, report it to your doctor right away.