Skin Cancer Prevention

Before you head outside, make sure you protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Dermatologists recommend that sunscreen is the first line of defense to shield yourself from harmful UVA and UVB rays.

Martin Vanderwood: According to the Canadian Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Canada. This year alone, skin cancer will claim the lives of an estimated 1200 Canadians with over 80,000 new cases of skin cancer diagnosed. Skin cancer cases have increased by 2/3 since 1990. This means the people are not taking sun protection seriously. Although the roles of UVA and UVB rays in causing the different types of skin cancer are not completely understood, dermatologist agree that people are applying less than the recommended amount of sunscreen, a first line of defense when it comes to sun protection. Dr. Jensen Yeung has seen his fair share of sun damage and skin cancer. Dr. Jensen Yeung: SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It is measure of some protection against UVP but it doesn’t measure against UVA protection. When you look for sunscreen, you want to look for something that offers broad spectrum sun protection because you want something that is effective against UVA and UVB. UVA causes photo aging and UVB causes some burning, but both types of ultraviolet rays cause skin cancer. Using a broad spectrum sunscreen is part of the comprehensive sun protection plan. The other part consists of staying into shade when ever possible. Avoiding the sun from 10 am to 3 pm when the UV index is highest. Wear a protective clothing including wear a hat and long sleeve clothing. When you buy a sunscreen, I would recommend an SPF of at least 30, the higher the better. You should use two tablespoons when adults and one tablespoon for children. When you use a sunscreen you want to use half an hour before we go outside, and you apply it generously all over your body and focus on some exposed areas. You wanted to use a high SPF because often people don’t want to apply enough and they don’t apply frequently, so by using a high SPF that compensates for the lack of quality and frequency of sunscreen use. Martin Vanderwood: Under application of sunscreen can result in receiving 10 to 25 percent of the SPF shown on the label. Meaning poorly applied sunscreen of SPF 60 can result in protection equivalent to SPF 6. The highest available SPF sunscreen in Canada is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 85. The formula includes Photo Stabilized Helioplex Technology which delivers broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays and is waterproof and sweat proof. Dr. Jensen Yeung: Beyond proper sun protection, it is extremely important that Canadians pay close attention to the skin. They should check their own skin once a month to go for things that are changing, things that are new that they haven’t seen before. In addition to that, they should incorporate skin examination as part of their annual physical exam. Martin Vanderwood: For more information in skin cancer and how you can protect yourself from the sun this summer, visit cancer.ca or Neutrogena.ca. Martin Vanderwood reporting.