With the northern Hemisphere officially creeping into summer, the first arguments of this season’s sun and skin debate have arisen
Anti cancer councils and organisations akin to Australia’s Sunsmart are continuing their awareness-raising campaigns, educating the public about the issue, and most importantly the practice of sun protective behaviour; although significant investment and persistence are required, well executed and long running campaigns can make significant progress, albeit on a regional scale. But a vocal group of skeptics are continuing to question whether a central element, sunscreen, might just be part of the problem.
May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month in the US, and it’s likely that the associated awareness campaign has come not a moment too soon. A recent study confirmed that non-melanoma skin cancer has reached epidemic levels in the US, with an estimated 300 percent increase in the number of skin cancers over the past decade and a half.
In Australia, Sunsmart and the state Cancer Councils work to educate and inform the public of the consequences of UV exposure and the protective and defensive measures that should be taken in order to avoid sunburn and to decrease the risk of skin cancer and melanoma developing later in life. An important part of changing behaviour in relation to UV exposure is to increase our understanding of the science of UV, sunburn and skin.
The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) reclassification of sunbeds as carcinogenic has kick-started heated debate, with arguments from both sides making front page headlines around the world. Localised incidents are becoming catalysts for change, but the sad reality is that it’s often personal tragedies that serve to highlight the need for tighter regulation of the sunbed industry.
The 1980’s saw the realisation that skin cancer incidence and mortality were on the increase. Relatively little was known or understood about the causes, risks and consequences by the general population and it was apparent that something had to be done to turn this worrying trend around. With this goal in mind a partnership of local government, trade unions, dermatologists, education systems and schools launched what was to become one of the most successful health awareness campaigns of all time.
Italian researchers have conducted a study into susceptibility to Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) in the Mediterranean or Southern European population.
Sunlight is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, it’s a form of radiation. The feature that characterises the different regions and classifications of radiation within the spectrum is the wavelength and wavelengths vary from being extremely long to measuring less than the width of a single atom.
