Grande Ronde Hospital urges Union County residents to watch for skin cancer signs

A new spot, a sore that will not heal or a patch that keeps coming back can be the difference between a simple clinic visit and a skin cancer that has had time to spread. Grande Ronde Hospital and Clinics used Skin Cancer Awareness Month on May 18 to remind Union County residents that sun safety and early detection matter in a county where work and recreation routinely add up to long hours outdoors.

The hospital said not all skin cancers look the same. Some show up as a new spot, a rough or scaly patch, a growth that bleeds or crusts, or a lesion that changes, heals and then returns. It also pointed residents to the familiar ABCDE warning signs for melanoma: asymmetry, irregular borders, uneven color, diameter changes and evolving spots. Those changes are worth checking, especially when they are new or different from the rest of the skin.

Grande Ronde Hospital linked the warning signs to prevention that fits everyday life in Northeast Oregon. The hospital urged people to use sunscreen, wear hats and protective clothing, seek shade when possible and avoid indoor tanning, especially for children and teens who are building habits that can protect them later. That advice carries extra weight in Union County, where gardening, spring sports, hiking, fishing, camping and community events all mean more time in the sun, and where outdoor work remains part of daily life.

For people in La Grande and across the county, the first step does not have to be a specialty appointment. Grande Ronde Hospital said patients can begin with primary care and, when needed, be referred to dermatology for a more detailed evaluation or treatment. The hospital’s dermatology clinic also emphasizes regular skin cancer screenings as part of preventive care, giving residents a local path to follow up on spots that seem suspicious.

The public health stakes are real. The CDC says skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and unprotected skin can be damaged by ultraviolet rays in as little as 15 minutes. The agency also says about 6.1 million adults are treated each year for basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas at a cost of about $8.9 billion, while melanoma causes the most deaths among skin cancers. In Union County, melanoma incidence was 13.3 cases per 100,000 people from 2018 to 2022, compared with 24.3 statewide, according to State Cancer Profiles.

Union County’s rural profile helps explain why the message landed now. The county’s population was estimated at 25,900 in July 2025, and USDA data counted 806 farms covering 342,913 acres in 2022, including 32,848 irrigated acres. The American Academy of Dermatology says skin self-exams help catch melanoma early when it is highly treatable, and its survey found half of outdoor workers reported sunburn in 2023, with one in 10 reporting blisters. Even as the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says evidence is insufficient to recommend routine clinician visual skin exams for asymptomatic adolescents and adults, Grande Ronde Hospital’s message was clear: notice changes early, get them checked and do not wait for a small spot to become a bigger problem.