Summer months may equal backyard barbecues, pool parties and beach trips, but don't let fun in the sun increase your risk for skin cancer.

"Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States," said A. Rana Bayakly, director, Chronic Diseases, Healthy Behaviors and Injury Epidemiology Section.

Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas-the two most common types of skin cancer-are highly curable, but melanoma, which occurs less frequently, kills more people. From 2005 to 2009, 9,351 Georgians were diagnosed with melanoma and from 2004 to 2008, 994 Georgians died from it, Bayakly said.

The fast facts on melanoma: Males are more likely to be diagnosed than females, whites are more likely to be diagnosed than blacks and white males have a significantly higher burden of melanoma than white females. Adults age 75 or older have the highest rate of melanoma.

It's important to protect yourself from the sun year-round, not just during the summer, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The CDC recommends seeking shade (especially during midday hours), wearing clothing and hats to protect exposed skin, wearing wraparound sunglasses to protect eyes and donning sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, all of which help guard against ultraviolet rays. More details can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/prevention.htm. The same recommendations apply to children, whose risk of skin cancer later in life is increased by just a few serious sunburns, according to the CDC.   

UV rays can reach through on cloudy and hazy days, and also reflect off surfaces like water, cement, sand and snow. The greatest exposure to UV rays is between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight savings time and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time.

-Story by Nicole Price, DPH Communications