This page was reviewed or revised on Thursday, October 22, 2009 2:57 PM
This year, more than 61,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with skin cancer. Unlike most cancers, skin cancer is almost totally preventable.
According to the Canadian Dermatological Association (CDA), ultraviolet light works in many different ways to cause skin cancer. Each time skin is exposed to sun and becomes tanned or burned, damage is done to individual cells and to DNA. Some cells die and some repair themselves by getting rid of the damaged DNA. Cells that cannot repair themselves eventually become defective cells. UVR (Ultra Violet Radiation) lowers the body's immune system, and this makes it difficult to destroy defective cells. Defective cells that are not destroyed can slowly grow and produce a cancerous tumour.
Monitor yourself and your children throughout your time in the sun to make sure you have the proper mix of shade, clothing and sunscreen. To help you remember this think of the 4 s's; slip, slap, slop and shade.
For more information about sun safety or to help establish policies to increase shaded areas, contact Marnie Garrett at the Community Health Services at 519-383-8331 ext.508.
There are many popular myths regarding the use of tanning beds. Here are some examples:
"People with light skin can tan safely at a tanning parlour"
False. People with fair skin have less protective melanin pigment and often burn rather than tan, even using sun lamps
"Tanning beds do not cause skin cancer"
False. The UVA radiation emitted from sun lamps is more powerful than natural sunlight and may be responsible for contributing to wrinkling of the skin, premature aging and skin cancer.(Canadian Dermatological Association)
Artificial tanning can cause skin cancer. Make sure you know what danger signs to look for in birthmarks, moles and freckles. If you have any concerns, see your doctor right away. The CDA promotes untanned skin as a standard for physical attractiveness. If you must have a tan it recommends using a self tanning cream applied in the evening followed by SPF 15 sunscreen the next day.
Health Risks Associated with Tanning Lamps - Health Canada analyzes and manages health risks related to ultraviolet radiation. Please refer to the following link for more information on this topic from Health Canada: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/english/iyh/lifestyles/tanning.html
NEW - Community Affair - Practice Sun Safety Everywhere 2006, click here for access (PDF Postcard)
NEW - Over Exposed - Practice Sun Safety, 2006, click here for access (PDF Newsletter)
These links provide much more information on the dangers of over exposure to UV radiation such as; what types of skin are more vulnerable, what to look for when checking your skin and what a UV Index can tell you about sun exposure.
What is PDF? PDF stands for Portable Document Format and is a way of distributing documents over networks while ensuring they always print the same. To view PDF files, you need either the Foxit Reader (1.1 MB) or Adobe Reader (27.7 MB)