A great new viral video from the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund went live earlier this week. Check it out:
Head to the DCMF website for more on their work. You can read more about melanoma on our website.
Dear 16-year-old Me
Thursday, May 5th, 2011Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month
Tuesday, May 3rd, 2011
May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month in the US, and with summer just around the corner in the northern hemisphere, this is a timely reminder of the dangers of unprotected UV exposure.
Skin cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in America, with more than 3 million cases diagnosed each year and over 10,000 deaths from the disease. Worryingly, unlike most forms of cancer which are declining, skin cancer rates in America are on the rise. There are three common types of skin cancer – basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Of these, melanoma is the least common, and yet the most frequently lethal form. (more…)
Tanning beds and the vitamin D debate
Thursday, April 21st, 2011In a blog post last week we highlighted the mechanisms by which a tanning bed (solarium) can cause skin cancer, following new statistics on melanoma from the UK. Yet, individuals continue to use solariums – despite their risks – and much debate is ongoing about their exact impact upon human health, particularly with regards to vitamin D.
One of the key arguments made by advocates of solariums is that exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation is essential for the production of vitamin D. Tanning beds are, in theory, a good source of this nutrient during the winter months or in locations which don’t receive much sunlight throughout the year. Yet, to consider this reasoning, it is first important to understand the science behind these concepts. (more…)
How does indoor tanning cause skin cancer?
Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
Earlier today, new stats were published by Cancer Research UK highlighting that two young adult Britons are diagnosed with skin cancer every day; a rate which has tripled since the 1970s. There were several factors highlighted as contributing to this increase, but one was most clearly singled out in the release:
“using a sunbed before the age of 35 can increase your risk of melanoma by 75%”
Devices for detecting skin cancer – Part 2
Friday, March 18th, 2011
This is the second in a two-part blog series on devices used to detect skin cancers in humans. The first post, which you can read here, looks at existing tools.
In recent years, several scientific research organisations and companies have begun studying and refining devices designed to detect cancerous lesions on the skin.
Although it is unlikely that these innovative technologies will be a replacement for a dermatologist’s professional judgment, they may significantly aid and hasten the diagnosis process. Four of the latest technologies have caught the media’s attention in recent years. (more…)
Further regulation of indoor tanning
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
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…)
Reports thus far: news from the AAD
Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
Tomorrow marks the final day of the American Academy of Dermatology’s 69th Annual Meeting in New Orleans. As one of the major medical conferences of the year, it is common for some fascinating advances, new statistics and unusual reports from the field to be unveiled in the many presentations made over the five days. Here is a brief sample of the highlights reported thus far.
Updated: the AAD’s position statement on vitamin D
Thursday, January 20th, 2011
Overnight the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) has issued an update on its position statement on vitamin D, a hot topic in dermatology and medicine more broadly (and one we’ve discussed on the blog in some depth in the past).
In a release issued on their website, the AAD reaffirmed its stance that vitamin D – essential for human skeletal health – should be obtained through diet and/or dietary supplements, rather than risking exposure to ultraviolet light, a natural source of vitamin D for humans. (more…)
Lung, heart, mouth, nose, throat and… skin? More on smoking and health
Wednesday, January 5th, 2011
In what has become something of a tradition in recent years, yet another country has used the new year to adopt further laws related to tobacco smoking. Spain’s new tobacco laws, enforced from midnight on January 2nd, now prohibit smoking in various locations; including bars, restaurants, nightclubs, casinos and 70% of hotel rooms. (more…)
Australia still skin cancer world leader
Friday, December 17th, 2010
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…)
