Charity encourages patients to take care in the sun

Main Category: Dermatology
Also Included In: Melanoma / Skin Cancer
Article Date: 11 May 2005 - 11:00 PDT

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With the number of skin cancers increasing, Macmillan Cancer Relief will be raising sun awareness and the dangers of skin cancer during Sun Awareness Week which runs from 23 to 27 May. Macmillan will be urging people to take care in the sun and to stamp out sunburn.

Macmillan is urging patients who are undergoing treatment for cancer such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy to be extra careful in the sun because their skin may be ultra sensitive to the light and more susceptible to burning.

To help spread the prevention message, Anthony Sullivan, Macmillan skin cancer nurse specialist, Addenbrooke's, Cambridge, will be joining other Macmillan skin cancer nurses in raising sun awareness by holding an information day at his hospital. Mr Sullivan has been seconded to Macmillan from Sydney, Australia and is the first skin cancer nurse specialist to join a UK wide charity.

He says, 'Skin cancer is a growing problem and we want people to take care. In the last ten years the rate of skin cancer has risen faster than any other cancer in the UK. If we don't change our attitudes to tanning and sun awareness, I fear our rates of skin cancer will just keep on increasing causing more harm to the public. Macmillan skin cancer nurses are ideally placed to provide health promotion messages to the general public. By following simple guidelines we can still enjoy the summer and help to stamp out sunburn.'

Skin cancer is now the UK's most common cancer in both men and women with more than 70,000 cases of melanoma and non-melanoma reported each year. Malignant Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and affects over 7,000 people in UK with around 1,600 deaths each year.

More women than men are affected by malignant melanoma and it is the second most common cancer in those aged 15-34. However, the vast majority of skin cancers could have been prevented by taking precautions against the sun's ultra-violet rays.

Sun Awareness Guidelines include:

-- slipping on a hat or a long sleeved shirt and sun glasses
-- sitting in the shade between 11 and 3
-- putting on UVA/UVB protection sun cream factor 15 or above
-- looking after young children and protecting them from the sun

If anyone is concerned about skin cancer or has a mole they believe is suspicious they should visit their GP to get it checked out. For more information on cancer in general, please call the Macmillan Cancer Relief's freephone number on 0808 808 2020 or email:
cancerline@macmillan.org.uk.

http://www.macmillan.org.uk

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