(USA TODAY) -- Shonda Schilling accentuated her looks by bathing in the sun, never realizing a tan to die for could lead to death.

"After I married my husband, I used to live by the pool during spring training," said the wife of Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Curt Schilling. "I kept a good tan. All the images of being sexy, like the Bud Light girl, that's what I was trying to keep up. But I didn't understand how dangerous the constant exposure to the sun can be to your skin."

Schilling's comments came Monday as skin cancer screening for major league teams began at the Diamondbacks' Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix.

Boston Red Sox pitcher Derek Lowe, Florida Marlins manager Jeff Torborg and Detroit Tigers athletic trainer Kevin Rand have recently been diagnosed with skin cancer.

For Schilling, her rude awakening came in 2001 with the diagnosis that the mole-like spot on her back "that didn't look quite right" was melanoma -- the deadliest form of skin cancer -- which kills 8,000 people and produces 50,000 new cases annually in the USA.

Skin cancer, in all forms, is avoidable and 100% curable with early detection, but it affects 1 million people a year in the USA, and one of five Americans will be afflicted in their lifetime. Fair-skinned people are the biggest at-risk group, but it can affect all races.

Schilling, cancer-free after five surgeries, is sharing what she's learned about skin cancer so others might not be caught off guard. In September she started the Shade Foundation, which has a Web site (ShadeFoundation.org) and a mission to educate children on sun safety and early detection.

"Just like we talk about smoking and drinking, there needs to be a part of the school curriculum that talks about the dangers of the sun and skin cancer," she said.

Major league teams are screened for skin cancer during the season by dermatologists who volunteer their service.

"It's been a win-win for everyone," said Kenneth Wasserman, a Philadelphia dermatologist and founder of the Play Smart When It Comes to the Sun screening partnership, now in its fifth year. "It benefits the players, because they're being made aware of the importance of being screened."

Paul English, the Diamondbacks' dermatologist, said skin cancer awareness has gone way up since the AAD partnered with baseball, along with Schilling's involvement. "Skin cancer is easy to detect and screening is pain-free," English said. "All it takes is a couple of eyes looking at you."

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