Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Australia. With one of the highest rates in the world, it kills more than 1,850 Australians each year. The ability to identify cancerous lesions at early stages of development, when treatment is usually more effective and often curative, is vital to reducing deaths from skin cancer. (more…)
Nearly 18 months ago we blogged about the impending regulation that would undoubtedly be imposed on the sunbed industry as the weight of evidence mounted that ultraviolet light was a carcinogen.
Not long after we published that piece (Teens and sunbed use; the regulation commences), the Brazilian government was the first in the world to take legislation a step further and impose an outright ban on the use of solaria (sunbeds and like devices) for aesthetic use. At the time they were announced, the Brazilian sunbed laws included fines of up to US$860,000 (1.5m reais) for those caught breaching them. (more…)
As we tweeted a little earlier today, a new report has been released showing that Australians have 13 times the likelihood of developing skin cancer compared to the global average.
The alarming statistic, taken from Cancer in Australia: an overview 2010, actually highlighted the risk of contracting melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. For every 100,000 people, there are 37 cases of melanoma diagnosed in Australia, compared to 3 per 100,000 as a global average. The melanoma rate was so high that it increased the overall rate of cancer in Australia to one of the highest in the world with 314 new cancer cases per 100,000 people, compared to a global average of 182 per 100,000. (more…)
A new study published online this week has reported that ultraviolet (UV) light activates an enzyme in the skin which helps cancerous cells to survive and proliferate.
Protein kinase D (PKD) has been shown by a team from three institutes in Georgia to prevent apoptosis (programmed cell death) in skin cells, including cancerous cells. Their work was e-published this week in the journal Oncogene. (more…)
We’ve discussed many different issues relating to sunlight and skin cancer, but few are more hotly debated than the causal link between ultraviolet light (UV) exposure and melanoma. There is, however, building scientific evidence to back the theory that exposing skin to UV is an environmental risk factor for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer which is believed to be on the increase globally. With this premise in mind, a team from The University of Texas Health Science Center set out to determine what effect, if any, sunscreen has on reducing the incidence of melanoma. (more…)
This is the second post in a two-part series, for part one, click here.
Over the past few years, in Australia, there appears to have been a decline in teenage deaths from melanoma skin cancer (see Figure 1). This trend likely signifies that the standard of care for melanoma has improved in this period. The decrease is in response to more effective treatment of melanoma in recent years, with improved treatment options and more aggressive treatment of advanced melanomas. There is also greater availability of medical screening facilities and teens are encouraged to perform personal skin checks, leading to earlier detection of skin cancers. (more…)
This post is the first in a two-part series investigating recent trends in skin cancer in young Australians. With a particular focus on teenagers aged 15 to 19, we discuss changes in skin cancer incidence and mortality over the past few decades.
There are three common types of skin cancer; melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC). The latter two, which are collectively known as ‘non-melanoma skin cancers’, tend to be slow growing and infrequently metastasise (spread beyond the primary tumour to other parts of the body). Melanoma, the least common form, is generally more aggressive and is often lethal. (more…)
As many as two-thirds of Australia’s skin cancer fatalities are men and the incidence of melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, is continuing to rise in males. The Cancer Council Australia, along with their new ambassador, Australian cricketing vice captain Michael Clarke, are encouraging men to sit up and take notice of these alarming and wholly unacceptable statistics. In a morning media conference (27/10) the Cancer Council, in association with the Australasian College of Dermatologists (ACD), presented recent skin cancer research findings and sought to promote the dangers of skin cancer. (more…)
As summer approaches in Australia and the Victorian SunSmart media campaign kicks into gear to celebrate 30 years of SunSmart, there are many who are yet to heed the warning messages.
Yesterday, the Cancer Council Victoria announced the results of its summer survey of 1400 Victorians aged 13 to 34, polling knowledge on, and attitudes and behaviors towards, skin protection. Of those polled, 53% desired a tan, while 57% of those aged 13-17 desired a tan. (more…)
A study into the protective value of the hair on human heads has revealed that short hair shields the underlying scalp from ultraviolet (UV) radiation better than long hair.
Researchers from the University of Southern Queensland measured the amount of solar UV radiation able to penetrate to the skin on the scalp through both short and long hair. They compared the conditions of a human head in full sun and under shade; then that of a head tilted towards the sun in full sunlight. The amount of UV radiation reaching the scalp beneath the hair was compared to that reaching a bald scalp. (more…)
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