Skin Cancer Prevention and Sun Awareness

Aim “Working together for a Healthier Scotland” in all cancers by 2010 Raise awareness amongst young children and their carers of the importance of safe sun practices

Targeting Primary Aged Children Children are particularly vulnerable to damage from over exposure to the sun Time spent in school &outdoors Greatest long-term benefits

The Sun Sun Ultra-violet Visible light Infra-red Harmful to skin Allows us to see and plants to grow Gives the feeling of warmth

High UV levels Between 11am and 3pm Between April and September in UK Close to the equator At high altitude On reflective surfaces: sand, snow, water

Skin cancer Sunburn Wrinkling Ageing Dryness Liver spots UV damage to the skin

UV radiation UVA Penetrates deeply into the skin Causes cancer Skin ageing UVB Penetrates surface of skin Causes cancer Causes sunburn

Skin cancer Non-melanomaMalignant melanoma

Skin cancer Malignant melanoma Most serious form of skin cancer Can spread to other parts of the body if not removed at early stage Responsible for most skin cancer deaths Commonly caused by short high intensity sun exposure (e.g. summer holidays)

Malignant melanoma Superficial spreading malignant melanoma

Skin cancer Non-melanoma (Basal cell cancer Squamous cell cancer) Most common cancer Less likely to spread to other parts Can be disfiguring More common after high lifelong exposure (e.g. outdoor workers)

Skin cancer in the UK Basal cell cancerSuperficial basal cell cancer

Squamous cell cancer

Skin cancer in the UK There are over 75,000 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year in the UK Many cases are not reported so the real number of cases is probably much higher The number of cases has almost tripled since the early 80s Over 2,300 people die from skin cancer each year in the UK (Cancer research uk)

Why is skin cancer increasing? More leisure time More foreign holidays Fashion for a tan BUT a third of Scots with skin cancer have never been abroad

Skin Type Type Skin, hair and eye colour History of Sun burning or Tanning IWhite skin and freckles Red or fair hair Blue or green eyes Always burns easily, never tans IIWhite skin, Light hair, Blue or brown eyes Burns easily, tans minimally IIITends to have white skin, Brown hair Brown eyes Burns moderately, tans gradually to light brown IVDark skin Dark brown eyes Dark brown hair. Burns minimally, always tans well to moderately brown VDark skin Dark brown eyes Dark brown hair Rarely burns, tans profusely to dark brown VIDark skin Dark hair Dark brown eyes. Never burns, deeply pigmented

High risk groups Red or blonde hair Fair or freckly skin Skin that does not tan easily History of sunburn Family history of skin cancer Lots of moles Have already had skin cancer Transplant patients Babies and children

Signs of skin cancer Watch out for moles that change shape or colour increase in size May sometimes be itchy or painful inflamed bleed Be aware of patches of skin that do not heal If in doubt consult your doctor

Sunburn What is Sunburn Literally a burn on your skin The long-term consequences of years of overexposure to the sun are significant. One blistering sunburn in childhood doubles the likelihood of developing Malignant melanoma Everyone is at risk Doesn't just happen in hot weather

Sun Beds Not in wide spread use before the 1990’s-full effects not known Give out UV rays main cause of skin cancer If you don’t tan in the sun you will not tan any more easily on a sun bed Users believe skin damage is avoided provided their skin does not burn- Not true Using a sunbed is no safer than sunbathing outdoors

Protecting our children and ourselves Avoid burning Stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm Cover up - wear tight weave loose fitting clothes Wear a hat that covers the ears and neck

Wear sunglasses that meet British UV standards Keep babies under 12 months out of direct sunlight. Use a sunscreen with minimum SPF of 15 on exposed skin Provide plenty of drinks to avoid dehydration Protecting our children and ourselves

SPF (Sun protection factors) In theory SPF measures how many times longer it takes for skin to redden using sunscreen compared to unprotected skin Use a minimum of SPF 15 Higher factors give only a small increase in protection Reapply frequently

SPF measures protection from UVB You also need protection from UVA A star rating indicates how effective the sunscreen blocks UVA Four stars indicates the highest protection UVA protection

REMEMBER Sunscreen is rarely applied at the recommended rate so protection is reduced DO NOT allow the use of sunscreen to increase your time in the sun BEWARE damage may occur before skin reddens BEWARE burning causes damage with or without sunscreen SUN AVOIDANCE IS MORE IMPORTANT Sunscreen sense

Increased risk of getting skin cancer as an adult