Skin CancerBy Hannah McCormack

What is it ?

Skin cancer is uncontrollable growth of abnormal skin cells. It is a disease of the skin cells caused by skin cell damage. Damaged skin cells are usually caused by to much of the sun’s UV (ultraviolet radiation). Once the cells mutate it causes cancer to form . There are 3 different types of skin cancer which include Basal cell carcinoma, Squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

Current statistics

Over 2000 Australians die from skin cancer every year.

Australians are five times more likely to develop skin cancer than any other cancer.

Every 2 in 3 men and every 3 in 5 women will develop skin cancer.

95-99% of skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun.

Gp’s have over 1 million patient consultations per year for skin cancer

What causes skin cancer?

There are 3 main cause to skin cancer; sunburn, tanning and solariums.

Sunburn is associated with the most deadly skin cancer, Melanoma. Sunburn happens to everyone and we brush it off like it’s nothing. More than 14% of adults, 24% of teenagers and 8% of children are sunburnt most summer weekends. People make the mistake that is it is cloudy or not very sunny not to protect them self from the sun, when those days are when the UV radiation is at its highest and when it’s the easiest to get sunburnt. Sunburn is something that is so easy to get and which most people are not very worried about when they should be.

Everybody loves to be tanned or even lay in the sun for hours on summer days trying to get a tan. This is a very big issue because tanning is definitely not a sign of health or wellbeing. Tanning is a sign that you have been exposed to, a bit to much UV. Tanning will eventually cause wrinkles, sagging, yellowish discolouration and brown patches appearing on your skin.

You don’t just have to be in the sun to cause skin cancer. Solariums can cause it as well, it has UVA and UVB radiation which can cause skin cancer to form.

Risk factors

People that are most at risk to skin cancer are people that are exposed to the suns UV radiation. Also people with fair skin because if you have darker skin it can protect you from the UV radiation.

Older people are also more at risk to skin cancer as they have been exposed to the UV radiation more then anyone else.

Also skin cancer can be a genetic thing and can come from other family members and can run through the family.

Also people with weakened immune system are at risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancer.

How to treat it?

There many different ways to treat skin cancer depending on the type, size and how early you detect it. These include;

Surgery, freezing, scraping, radiotherapy and chemotherapy

how to prevent it?

Wear sun protective clothing including; hat covering face, ears and back of neck, long shirt , long pants, sunglasses

Put of water resistant SPF30+ sunscreen 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every 2 hours

Try stay in the shade and out of the sun as much as possible

Health promotions

Slip, Slop, SlapSlip- slip on some clothingSlop- Slop on some sunscreenSlap- on a hatSeek- shadeSlide- sunglassesSlip slop slap works by educating young people in the prevention of skin cancer. It works effectively because it is a very catchy phrase and is very easy for people to remember Skin cells in trauma advertisementsThis advertisement works by trying to educate teenagers and adults that tanning can cause to you develop skin cancer. Relay for life.Relay for life is a fun, overnight fundraising event which bring communities together to celebrate the lives of people who have lost their battle to cancer. Everybody dresses up and makes a team and take turns walking around the track for 24 hours.

Animoto

http://animoto.com/play/vSWu4i5iLSeJSQOFyceR1g