Part 1 (B) - Skin Cancer
Major Casues of Skin Cancer:
Sunburn - Sunburn has been associated with melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Tanning - Many people have a belief that a tan looks healthy but it isn't it is one of the main causes of skin cancer and there are many ads on TV warning people about the dangers of tanning.
Solariums - A solarium is a room equipped with sun lamps or sun beds and are used for getting fake tans. They emit UVA and UVB radiation which both cause skin cancer.
Prevalance of Skin Cancer in Australia:
Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world. Around 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer every year. Over 750,000 Australians are treated for skin cancer every year, which is over 2,000 people every day.
Skin Cancer in Children:
Whether or not you have skin cancer later in life is partly determined by how much sun exposure you have in the first 10 years of life. Children need a good balance of sun exposure. If you are exposed to too much UV radiation then you are likely to get sunburnt and possibly get skin cancer. If there is not enough exposure to UV radiation then levels of Vitamin D drop. Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in the blood which is essential for having healthy and strong bones and muscles.
Short Term Effects of Skin Cancer:
Long Term Effects of Skin Cancer:
Statistics on Skin Cancer:
Sunburn - Sunburn has been associated with melanoma which is the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Tanning - Many people have a belief that a tan looks healthy but it isn't it is one of the main causes of skin cancer and there are many ads on TV warning people about the dangers of tanning.
Solariums - A solarium is a room equipped with sun lamps or sun beds and are used for getting fake tans. They emit UVA and UVB radiation which both cause skin cancer.
Prevalance of Skin Cancer in Australia:
Australia has the highest skin cancer incidence rate in the world. Around 2,000 Australians die from skin cancer every year. Over 750,000 Australians are treated for skin cancer every year, which is over 2,000 people every day.
Skin Cancer in Children:
Whether or not you have skin cancer later in life is partly determined by how much sun exposure you have in the first 10 years of life. Children need a good balance of sun exposure. If you are exposed to too much UV radiation then you are likely to get sunburnt and possibly get skin cancer. If there is not enough exposure to UV radiation then levels of Vitamin D drop. Vitamin D regulates calcium levels in the blood which is essential for having healthy and strong bones and muscles.
Short Term Effects of Skin Cancer:
- Itchy skin
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Pain
- Sleeping difficulties
- Change in weight
Long Term Effects of Skin Cancer:
- Lymphoedema (swelling in the limbs)
- Problems with eating and drinking
- Mouth and teeth problems
- Changes in bladder and bowel functioning
- Hair loss
- Spots on the skin
- Fertility problems
- Osteoporosis (bone loss)
Statistics on Skin Cancer:
- Australians are four times more likely to develop a skin cancer than any other form of cancer.
- Approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70.
- Skin cancer already cost the health system around $300 million annually over a decade ago, the highest cost of all cancers. More recently it has been calculated that the total cost of non-melanoma skin cancers alone was $512.3 million in 2010 (diagnosis, treatment and pathology).
- The most commonly diagnosed cancer among adolescents and young adults is melanoma; it accounts for more than one-quarter of all cancers among Australians aged 15–29 years.
- It is estimated that approximately 200 melanomas and 34,000 non-melanoma skin cancers per year are caused by occupational exposures in Australia.
- Research shows that using solariums before the age of 35 boosts the risk of melanoma by 59%.