Radiation protection Skin cancer risk despite sun protection

Radiation protection: Skin cancer risk despite sunscreen

06/11/2014

Skin cancer is still one of the most common cancers in Germany. The biggest risk factor for this is excessive UV radiation. But even sunscreen with high SPF do not provide complete protection. During the hottest hours you should avoid sunbathing.

UV radiation is the biggest risk factor for skin cancer
For many residents in our latitudes, it is important in summer to get as much sun as possible outside. However, excessive UV radiation without adequate skin protection is by far the biggest risk factor for skin cancer. This is still one of the most common cancers in Germany. As the physician Eckhard Wilhelm Breitbart of the Association Dermatological Prevention (ADP) explained according to a message from the news agency dpa, the short-term sudden contact of the skin with very intense UV radiation as in the Caribbean vacation favored mainly that black skin cancer (malignant melanoma) arises. As a major cause of white skin cancer (spinal or basal cell carcinoma), however, continuous UV exposure, as it has, for example, a road worker or farmer, seen.

Sunburns are especially dangerous
Especially in childhood, sunburns are particularly dangerous. However, excessive UV exposure, even without sunburn, can lead to skin damage and skin cancer. In addition, the risk increases due to certain individual factors such as fair skin, large congenital moles and many acquired liver spots. According to Breitbart, many people are still wrong when it comes to UV protection. „The biggest mistakes are that the length of stay in the sun is calculated incorrectly and one relies first on a sunscreen“, said Professor Breitbart, who was in charge of the recently published medical guideline on the prevention of skin cancer. Just to achieve the protection provided on the packaging, you need two milligrams of sunscreen per square centimeter of skin. This is the equivalent of a bottle of sunscreen daily for a family of three to four. „I do not know anybody who sticks to it“, said the expert.

Avoid the sun from eleven to three o'clock
Therefore, only those are safely protected, reduce the UV radiation to a level tolerated by the skin and avoid the sun, especially in times of very high UV intensity. Since about 80 to 90 percent of dangerous UV radiation is falling between eleven and three o'clock, one should not stay on the beach or in the sun during these hours. For the rest of the time in addition to the sunscreen only sun-dressed clothes with headgear and sunglasses granted protection. Babies and toddlers should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

Room for improvement in early detection
But not only for UV protection, there is also room for improvement in early detection. With the free skin cancer screening for insured persons over the age of 35, it was possible to discover more and more skin cancers at an earlier stage. „But we still see a lot of cases in which the skin cancer disease is already advanced. Women tend to come more often than men“, said Lucie Heinzerling, Head of the Melanoma Outpatient Clinic at the Skin Cancer Center of the University of Erlangen. However, the benefits of such studies is controversial and so called Medical Councilor Montgomery only last month, a review of the screening tests offered in Germany.

ABCDE rule for laymen
Laypeople could also help the so-called ABCDE rule to detect whether there may be cancer behind a birthmark. Here, like asymmetry, A stands for an irregular form of the birthmark. B How to limit that the birthmarks on the edges of jagged, uneven and rough and C as Color means that the birthmark is lighter or darker in some places. D stands for diameter of a birthmark and indicates that it is suspicious if it measures over five millimeters. With E as sublimity are meant lifts of skin, knots, bumps or steps. However, the rule is no guarantee and in case of abnormalities a doctor should be consulted.

Skin cancer in the early stages very good curable
Skin cancer is very good curable if it is detected in the early stages. Especially with black skin cancer, this chance disappears very quickly. „Malignant melanoma often grows quickly and forms metastases very early“, Heinzerling. At times, younger people have had melanoma in advanced stages. Frank Latzke, dermatologist in Alzenau in Bavaria added: „I advise my patients to go to skin cancer screening every year, especially patients who have many or noticeable liver spots, so that all changes can be detected at an early stage.“ One could turn to a doctor for a screening to his family doctor or directly to a dermatologist. According to Latzke, the change in recreational behavior is also largely responsible for the increase in skin cancer. Traveling abroad would expose young children to intense UV radiation early on. Meanwhile, it is more common that the dermatologist already diagnose younger white skin cancer in younger, which usually occurs later. (Ad)