Skin cancer ? the risk factors | Ego Pharmaceuticals

Posted July 22, 2012

It?s a scary thing to have ticked a few of the boxes in this article.
If articles like this can help us all revise and review our skin protection routines, then that?s a good thing! How do you rate? Are you at risk of skin cancer?

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Skin cancer is mainly caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun and other sources such as solaria and sunlamps.

Anyone in Australia can develop skin cancer but risk is increased for people who:

• are exposed to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) during childhood and adolescence
• have repeated exposure to UVR over their lifetime
• have episodes of severe sunburn
• have a light complexion (red or fair hair; blue or green eyes; skin that burns easily, freckles and doesn?t tan)
• are older
• have had a previous non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC)
• have a personal or family history of melanoma
• have a large number of moles
• have unusual types of moles (eg dysplastic naevus)
• are immunosuppressed (including organ transplant recipients)

At risk groups include:

Children and adolescents
The more children are exposed to UVR the greater their risk of developing skin cancer later in life ¹. Sun exposure, particularly during the first 15 years of life,
has a significant contribution towards lifetime risk of developing skin cancer².

Outdoor workers
It is estimated that 34,000 non-melanoma skin cancers and 200 melanomas are caused by sun exposure in the workplace each year. ³ Spending large amounts of time outside during peak ultraviolet radiation periods, over a long length of time, increases the risk of developing skin cancer.

To reduce your risk of skin cancer, protect yourself in 5 ways:

1. Seek shade
2. Put on a broad-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears
3. Wear sun protective clothing that covers as much of your body as possible. Long sleeved shirts with a collar, and longer style pants or skirts are good for sun protection. Fabric of clothing needs to have a tight weave and be darker in colour to increase your protection from ultraviolet radiation
4. Wear wrap-around sunglasses
5. Apply SPF30+ broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen liberally to clean dry skin, at least twenty minutes before being exposed to the sun, and reapply at least every two hours when outdoors

Also, avoid going outdoors unprotected between 10am-2pm (11am ? 3pm during daylight saving), as this is when ultraviolet radiation is the strongest.

For further information about skin cancer and outdoor work see the Cancer Council Australia website.

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1. World Health Organisation, UV Radiation and Health, 2003
2. Armstrong, B. K. (1997) Melanoma: childhood or lifelong sunexposure. InEpidemiology, Causes and Prevention ofSkin Diseases. Blackwell Science Ltd.
3. Cancer Council Australia media release, 20 November 2007

Article souce: http://www.skincancer.gov.au/internet/skincancer/publishing.nsf/Content/fact-riskfactors

Image source: ? Pavalache Stelian | Dreamstime.com
www.dreamstime.com/free-stock-photo-enjoin-the-sun-3-rimagefree732573-resi3716291

Source: http://egopharm.com/blog/skin-problems-2/skin-cancer-the-risk-factors/

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