Skin Cancer ... Australia's Curse

By SARA TEMPLETON

In Australia, there has long been a view that a bit of colour is both healthy and attractive, although new statistics may prove otherwise.

Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world and, on a national scale, more melanomas are reported in Queensland than anywhere else.

Such a high rate of skin cancer in Australia may be attributable to a number of things: attitude, geological circumstance and Australian's love of the outdoors.

The slip, slop, slap message seems to be getting through reasonably well, but there is still evidence that many Australians don't use effective sun-blocking aids.

Those who work outdoors, such as labourers, are more likely to develop skin cancer, according to the National Occupation Health and Safety Commission. Also, people with fair skin are at a much higher risk of developing a skin cancer as opposed to those with darker skin.

The rate of skin cancer has increased by an average of 4.3 per cent in men and 1.8 per cent in women per year for the last 10 years according to a study carried out by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. A sign that not all is well in the fight against skin cancer.

Skin cancer is caused predominantly by rays from the sun. Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) beats down on the skin to alter the DNA of a skin cell.

There are three main types of the skin cancer. Basal Cell Carcinomas (BCC) are the most common type of skin cancer. They usually take months, even years to develop and, unlike melanomas, are less likely to affect other organs and, in turn, result in death.

The Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is the second most predominant type of skin cancer. They are readily treatable.

The last and most dangerous of skin cancers, also the least common, is the malignant melanoma. These occur as moles or sunspots and will grow in size. The melanoma is a mutation of healthy cells in the skin and the deeper they sit in the epidermis (upper layers of skin), the harder they are to treat.

These will keep producing mutated cells (the cancer) and, in time, can pass through your circulatory system and spread the cancer to other organs, such as the liver. This is what will eventually kill you.

Doctors suggest that you check your skin at least once a year for any signs of burgeoning sun spots. The things to look out for include a freckle, mole or spot that appears different to those around it. If a spot changes colour, shape, size or moves position over a number of weeks or months then something is definitely amiss.

Dry, patchy or scaly skin can also mean a skin cancer is growing and melanomas will appear as very dark, flat spots. If caught early, 95 per cent of skin cancers are treatable. Statistics today show that one in every two Australians will wear some sort of skin cancer in their lifetime. This is definitely cause for concern.

The best cure for skin cancer is prevention. And when you think about it, it's really not that hard. Being lazy can be fun, but is it worth the risk?

Simply don a tee-shirt, wear a wide brimmed hat and remember to put plenty of sun cream on. The slip, slop, slap maxim may be aimed at the youth demographic, but it tells a tale everyone should heed.