Your Wellbeing
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Save yourself from skin cancer
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Save yourself from skin cancer
A healthy respect for the sun and keeping an eye out for the warning signs are the keys to preventing skin cancer.
Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. It’s the price we pay for spending much of our time enjoying ourselves outdoors, with the sun causing around 90% of skin cancers.
Unfortunately, being young, fit and healthy won’t protect you from this nasty disease. It can strike at any age. And skin cancer can even get people who don’t spend a lot of time outside.
But the good news is that skin cancer is almost totally preventable. So whether you’re a freckle-faced, red-haired surfer who virtually lives on the beach, or only go outside to walk the dog, nib urges you to play it safe out there.
At the top of the list is to avoid getting sunburn and to minimise your exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. This is easier said than done in Australia, where we are exposed to up to 15 percent more UV than, say, Europeans. Which is why we sun-loving Aussies must take care every day, even when the sky is overcast. Always use high-factor sunscreens and wear protective clothing such as a wide brimmed hat and a long sleeved top.
Stash sunscreen everywhere.
- Buy different pack sizes of high-factor – ideally 30+ - and in whatever variants you need, such as
- Water resistant for the beach, swimming pool and sweaty sports activities. Stash them where you can easily get to them:
- Pump pack in the bathroom so you can slap it on after your shower. Most sunscreens are also moisturizing so this is a good daily grooming habit to get into
- Tubes of 30+ formula for the face in your bathroom, backpack and handbag. The sun also causes wrinkles so high factor UV protection also helps keep you looking young and gorgeous
- Pump pack at the front door to top up before you head out
- Big tube in the glove box of your car or truck or motorbike pannier
- Tube in your toolbox. And share it with your workmates
- Remember – reapply your sunscreen every two hours.
Hats are hot
No matter what your style or how old you are, there’s a hat out there with your name on it. Luckily for us Aussies, our local designers, high street boutiques and chain stores know we love a good hat, so there are heaps of styles to choose from. You should have one for every occasion.
Hats are back for guys
Fedoras, trilbies, Panamas and cowboy hats not only protect you but look great, too. Also have wide-brimmed cotton hat for working outside and active outdoor activities.
Kaftans are in
The perfect cover-up for the beach and poolside. Look glam while protecting yourself from skin cancer.
Sarongs are stylish
On guys, too. Wear one when you’re out of the water at the beach or pool to protect from sunburn and help prevent skin cancer.
Long sleeved tops
Cooler and safer than t-shirts. A white cotton t-shirt blocks only about 5% of the sun’s rays, and even less when wet. For maximum comfort and protection from skin cancer, choose tops that are loose fitting to allow air to flow, and made from light 100% cotton with a dense weave.
Always wear sunglasses
Wrap-around frames are best, and look for the sticker saying they comply with Australian standards. Seek shade. Especially in the hottest part of the day, from 11am to 4pm.
Skin cancer where you least expect it
Don’t forget to protect and check those body parts that don’t always see the sun. Skin cancers have been found in armpits, on the backs of ears, on the undersides of breasts and buttocks, on the scalp, and even between toes!
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Who gets skin cancer?
Skin cancer risk factors include:
- It’s in the family: If one or both of your parents have had a skin cancer, you could be at greater risk, as you’ll have the same skin type as they do. There are also a number of genetic conditions (such as xeroderma pigmentosum) that predispose people to skin cancer.
- Skin type: The fairer your skin, the greater the risk of sunburn and, consequently, the greater your risk of getting skin cancer. However, while dark-skinned people have more protection against sunburn, they can still be at risk of sun damage and skin cancer.
- Moles and freckles: The more moles and freckles you have, the greater the risk of sun damage. See your doctor immediately if you notice any new spots on your skin, or if any existing moles or freckles change in any way. A slight change in a mole may be the only warning sign you get that you’ve got skin cancer.
- Solarium use: UV radiation from a solarium can be up to five times greater than that from the midday summer sun. If you think solariums are a safe way to tan, you’ll change your mind after reading skin cancer victim Clare Oliver’s story. http://www.clareolivermelanomafund.org/clares_legacy.htm
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Spot the symptoms of skin cancer
You should get a regular all-over-body check up by your doctor or at a skin cancer clinic. Many surfers, swimmers, builders and others who spend lots of time outside get a checkup once every six or 12 months.
Find a skin cancer clinic in your area http://www.cancer.org.au/Home.htm Or Google ‘skin cancer clinic’.
Check yourself for skin cancer. Get a friend to help.
Skin cancers are some of the easiest cancers to detect in the early stages – you just need to regularly check your skin. Get a friend, partner or family member to check out your scalp, neck, back and other places you can’t see yourself.
If you do notice something odd, don’t wait to see what happens next: get to your doctor or a skin cancer clinic as soon as you can. This disease can progress rapidly and even a few days might make a difference.
The first symptoms of a skin cancer will be a noticeable change in the appearance of your skin. This could include:
- A spot that looks different from others around it
- A new or unusual looking mole, freckle or sore
- A spot, mole or freckle that has changed in colour, shape or size
- A flat spot
- A section of skin that appears red, scaly or thickened.
Pay special attention to looking for signs of melanoma. The first sign is usually a new spot or an existing mole or freckle that changes in appearance. This change usually happens over a period of weeks or months, not days. Some of the changes might be:
- A change in size (growing larger)
- Irregular or smudged edges, rather than smooth
- Showing a range of colours, such as brown, black, blue, red, white or light grey
- Itchiness or bleeding
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Types of skin cancer
As with all cancers, skin cancer is the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells. There are three types:
- Basal cell carcinoma – the most common form and the least dangerous skin cancer. It is usually on the head, neck or upper torso, is slow growing and appears as a lump or scaling of the area.
- Squamous cell carcinoma – appear most often on areas of the skin exposed to sunlight and look like thickened, scaly red spots. This skin cancer grows over a period of weeks or months and, if untreated, can spread to other parts of the body.
- Melanoma – this is the most dangerous skin cancer and develops over weeks or months. If caught early, it is usually curable, although if left untreated the cancer can spread to other parts of the body. Melanoma can appear as a new spot, or as an existing mole or freckle that changes colour and size.
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Diagnosing skin cancer
There are two ways skin cancer is diagnosed: physical inspection of the skin and biopsy. You should check your skin monthly and have it examined by a doctor at least once a year. A doctor will use a number of tools, including the eye and magnifying devices.
If your doctor sees anything suspicious during the examination, they will most likely do a biopsy. This is usually done under a local anaesthetic and is a fairly simple procedure. The suspected cancer and some of the surrounding skin will be removed and sent to a laboratory for analysis.
If it’s skin cancer, you may need further tests to ensure that all of the abnormal cells have been removed and that the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body. These could include:
- Blood tests
- X-rays
- Ultrasound scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan
- Computerised tomography (CT) scan
- Bone scan
- Lymph node biopsy
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Treatment and management
In most cases, if the skin cancer is found early enough and all abnormal cells are removed in the biopsy, there’s no on-going treatment. However, you’ll need to be more vigilant about changes in your skin and make sure you’re fully protected whenever outdoors.
If the cancer wasn’t detected early, or if it has spread, you may need more aggressive treatment.
Again, depending on the skin cancer and the way it appears in your body, treatment options could include:
- Surgery under general anaesthetic to remove affected tissue that is more widespread or deeper in the skin layers
- Lymph node removal if the cancer has spread to the nearest lymph node
- Radiotherapy to kill any remaining cancer cells and prevent recurrence
- Chemotherapy or immunotherapy in advanced stages as a palliative (controlling) measure
- Ongoing management may involve more frequent skin examinations; regular tests to find out if there is cancer present in any other part of the body; or radiotherapy, chemotherapy or immunotherapy to prevent or treat recurrence.
Once you’ve had a skin cancer, you’re at much higher risk of getting another one. So you should never sunbathe or use a solarium and always wear protective clothing and high-factor sunscreen, even in winter.
But remember, with proper and regular skin checks and sun smart practices, you can minimize your risk of developing skin cancer and detect any changes early enough to treat successfully.
Support for skin cancer sufferers
For more information about skin cancer call the Cancer Council on 13 11 20, or visit http://www.cancer.org.au/Home.htm
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Skin cancer experiences
For more information about skin cancer call the Cancer Council on 13 11 20, or visit http://www.cancer.org.au/Home.htm
Skin cancer experiences
Adam, 37, from Perth, had a lucky escape. Going two years without a checkup nearly cost him his life.
“I had a typical Aussie childhood – always in the water and riding my BMX. I was brown as a berry but my mum kept an eye on my moles. Two were whipped off when I was 12, and another when I was 17. I had yearly checkups after that but I skipped two years when I was traveling overseas in my early 20s.
When I did get to the clinic they found a melanoma on my back and cut it out on the spot. They said if I’d left it another two weeks it would’ve been too late. Phew. I’m very careful now. Water-resistant 30+ sunscreen, a brimmed hat, long-sleeves and 6-monthly checkups.”
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There’s been quite a bit of news recently about how we need sun to produce vitamin D. This is true, but it’s not an excuse to go out in the sun unprotected. Most of us Aussies probably get sufficient Vitamin D from going about our usual daily activities. Excessive sun exposure has no benefit in health outcomes related to Vitamin D.
The Cancer Council NSW recommends:
- Always protect yourself from the sun when the UV Index is 3 (moderate) or above with a hat, sunglasses, protective clothing and sunscreen
- Exposing face, hands and arms for 10 minutes in summer, 15-20 minutes in spring and autumn and 30 minutes in winter, outside peak UV times
- Short periods of exposure (outside peak UV times) are more efficient at producing Vitamin D than long or intense periods of exposure
- Exposure to UV radiation in a solarium produces little Vitamin D.
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Your age and skin cancer
18 – 29
Most skin cancers appear in adulthood. Yet a lot of the damage is done in childhood. So start checking yourself monthly and get checked yearly by your doctor or at a skin cancer clinic. And avoid solariums: research on the link between skin cancer and solarium use concluded that using solariums before the age of 35 boosts the risk of melanoma by 75%, and also increases the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. A more recent review suggested the increased risk of melanoma could be as much as 98%.
30 – 49
Steer clear of solariums (see above) and be vigilant for the telltale signs of skin cancer. Your chances of getting skin cancer increases significantly after 40 years of age, especially if you’re male. What’s more, the bad news is death rates from skin cancer increase at around age 40. Remember – prevention is better than cure, so look after yourself out there: seek shade; always wear a hat, sunglasses, protective clothing and lashings of sunscreen.
50+
The risk of skin cancer increases with age, with 2 out 3 Aussies diagnosed with skin cancer by age 70. Also, skin can lose much its protective melanin as we get older, so keeping yourself safe from the sun is more important than ever after age 50. Try to avoid going out during the hottest parts of the day, and when you do venture outside, use 30+ sunscreen and cover up!
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Australian skin cancer facts and stats
2 in 3 of us will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70
- Skin cancers account for about 80% of all new cancers diagnosed each year in this country
- Each year, Aussies are 4 times more likely to develop a common skin cancer than any other form of cancer
- Over 430,000 of us are treated for skin cancer each year. That's over 1,000 people every day
- Skin cancer costs the health system around $300 million annually, the highest cost of all cancers
- Melanoma is the most common cancer in people aged 15 – 44 years.
It is estimated that approximately 200 melanomas and 34,000 non-melanoma skin cancers per year are caused by occupational exposures in Australia.
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