There are a number of misconceptions about the interaction between sunlight and skin. In this two part post we look at what we think are the top five most common sun and skin myths.
Myth 1: I can’t get sunburnt on a cloudy day (more…)
Top five sun and skin myths (part 1)
Thursday, February 2nd, 2012Low sunscreen use, high melanoma rates: a breakdown of the sunsmart message?
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
It’s estimated that more than 9,000 Americans will die from melanoma this year and 76,000 new cases of the disease will be diagnosed. Melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer which can spread (metastasize) quickly to other parts of the body, is also the second most common form of cancer in young Americans (those aged 15-29).
Overexposure of skin to ultraviolet (UV) radiation significantly increases an individual’s risk of melanoma, particularly at a young age; just one severe sunburn in childhood can double the lifetime risk of melanoma. Sun protective measures such as clothing and sunscreen are seen as key to reducing melanoma risk. (more…)
Photoaging
Thursday, December 22nd, 2011
Young adults are the age group most likely to seek a tan, with research showing that people under the age of 29 – particularly women – are tanning most frequently, both in the sun and under solariums. Aside from the well-recognised risks of skin cancer, there is another consequence of this increased exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation of which many teens are not aware – photoaging. In short, all this UV exposure over time makes skin look older. (more…)
Online evolution
Thursday, December 15th, 2011
Earlier this week we unveiled a major update to our online presence with the release of our new-look website and the launch of Mothers & Children, a new site focusing on the pediatric and parental skincare.
Over the past five years the team has worked to continuously improve our online resources, expand into social media and build our presence on our Youtube channel (generating over 100,000 views in the process). The new site, Mothers & Children, is a direct response to what we saw as a key gap in online skincare information: up-to-date, accurate and concise information on caring for and protecting young and maternal skin. This is a new space for us and we’re excited to be able to compliment our extensive Science of Skin resources with this site.
We’re not standing still online. You will notice further changes in the coming months as they emerge from internal development and testing as well as new content being developed across the site.
Let us know your thoughts about our new site via Twitter, Facebook or email.
EPP results and clinical relevance
Friday, November 4th, 2011
A protoporphyrin IX molecule
Over recent months I have written several times of the need for Clinuvel to prove clinical relevance in our trials with the use of SCENESSE® (afamelanotide) in erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). In orphan populations the need to demonstrate how a novel drug assists in their daily activities and improve their lives is at the forefront of the regulators’ minds. And so it should be, after all the objective of the pharmaceutical industry is to develop drugs which address either disease or symptoms adequately and safely. The results the company released yesterday from our Phase II US study of the drug in EPP (CUV030) have given us important data towards demonstrating clinically relevant improvement of patients’ lives. (more…)
Ultraviolet A more cancer-causing than once thought
Tuesday, October 18th, 2011
While the evidence linking sunbeds to the development of skin cancer continues to mount, recent research provides new insight into the underlying mechanisms.
Radiation from both the sun and tanning beds is made up of various wavelengths, including visible light and several types of ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, those which cause sunburn, have long been heralded the culprit which initiates skin cancer. It does this by damaging the genetic information (DNA) within skin cells, forming lesions known as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs) and pyrimidine (6-4) pyrimidone photoproducts (6-4PPs). These lesions create mutations in the DNA which can lead to the development of skin cancer (you can read about this process here). (more…)
Susceptibility genes for nonsegmental vitiligo
Thursday, October 13th, 2011
Nonsegmental vitiligo is a common pigmentary disorder where the skin gradually loses its colour (melanin) in patches. It is unknown precisely what causes the condition, though it is generally thought to be a result of autoimmune damage to the pigment-producing cells, called melanocytes. Vitiligo is a complex, multifactorial disease, meaning that it occurs as a result of interactions between ones genes and their environment. The fact that vitiligo often presents in close relatives (10-30% of vitiligo patients report a family history of the disorder) indicates that, to some extent, it is a heritable condition. In other words, in some cases a person’s genetic make-up can predispose them to vitiligo. (more…)
Children at greater risk of melanoma spreading
Tuesday, October 11th, 2011
A recent study of melanoma in children and young adults indicates that there may be greater risk of metastasis, or spread, of the cancer in younger patients. The study, conducted by researchers at Baltimore’s John Hopkins Children’s Center, involved analysis of 2008 SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results) data on melanoma cases from 2003 to 2008. A total of 717 children and 1368 adults, aged 20-24, were diagnosed during this time.
Investigators looked at patients who received biopsies of the sentinel lymph nodes (SLN; those nearby the initial tumour) and the number of those in whom the disease had spread to this site. It was found that, of those biopsied, children were more likely to have cancer cells which had infiltrated the removed lymph nodes (25%), indicating greater rates of metastases than in adult patients (14%). (more…)
Clinical relevance – the value of patient experiences
Friday, September 30th, 2011
Since 2006 Clinuvel has trialed SCENESSE® in a truly unique group of individuals: patients living with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), a rare genetic blood disorder which causes an absolute intolerance to light.
EPP prevents patients from leading ‘normal’ lives, especially outdoors. It is one of the few diseases that manifest clinically with initially invisible symptoms which cause severe dermal pain for several days. This not only presents a challenge for diagnosis and treatment, but also for generating meaningful clinical trial results – those which are measurable numerically and are used by regulatory authorities to evaluate the efficacy of a drug in a patient population. Here, real life patient experiences during a trial can play an important role in providing clinical relevance and analysing hard data. (more…)
British Skin Foundation scratches the surface
Friday, September 16th, 2011
In a striking new campaign, the British Skin Foundation have teamed up with photographer Rankin to try and visualise the physical and emotional impact that skin diseases can have on individuals.
Launched earlier this week at London’s National Portrait Gallery, the works posted online feature models crawling with bugs, with cracked and dried skin and covered in barbed wire. For many living with skin disorders such sensations can feel all too familiar, although the symptoms aren’t always visible. (more…)
