Will UV rays from Texas heat cause more cases of skin cancer? Austin doctor discusses

It doesn't take long to get a sunburn in Central Texas, and too much sun can lead to a common form of cancer, according to Dr. Jeff Yoria with Texas Oncology.

AUSTIN (KXAN) — It doesn't take long to get a sunburn in Central Texas, and too much sun can lead to a common form of cancer, according to Dr. Jeff Yorio with Texas Oncology.

“Skin cancer is unfortunately very common. If you take all the skin cancers, it is the most common type of cancer we have out there.”

Yorio said you can cut down the risk of getting skin cancer by protecting your skin early on with sunscreen.

“Even lots of exposure when you are young or a kid can put you at risk decades later. They say if you get three to five really bad sunburns early on, that’s going to double the risk of melanoma.”

As the Austin-area physician team leader for melanoma cancer research, Yorio has seen some of the most extreme cases of melanoma.

“The UV exposure is higher than it used to be, you know, 30 to 50 years ago, so we are getting more of that exposure when we are outside. So the big thing is sunscreen when you are outside, at least SPF 30 and reapplying every two hours or a little more often if you are in the water.”