Skin cancer can be a consequence of tanning, yet it’s preventable with appropriate precautions, said the Canadian Dermatology Association.
The association recently held screening and awareness events at provincial legislatures.
Last week in Regina, local dermatologists saw 57 people who work in the building, including MLAs.
Seventeen people were referred to their doctor or dermatologist for further testing.
Ten of them had suspicious moles, five had suspected pre-cancers, one had suspected basal cell skin cancer and one had suspected squamous cell cancer. These two cancers are the most prevalent.
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Dr. Roberta McKay, a Regina dermatologist and regional director of the awareness program, said patients or family members detect most skin cancers by observing changes to the skin.
“You’re looking for sores that don’t heal within a month. You’re looking at scaling spots that peel and peel and don’t go away. You’re looking at freckles and moles that are changing in color, shape and size,” she said after checking health minister Don McMorris.
McMorris said about 2,900 Saskatchewan residents were diagnosed with skin cancer in 2007 and 26 people died of it.
He said his family doctor checks his skin during annual physicals.
“I think he probably knows that I come from a farming background and spent a lot of time out in even, I hate to date myself, but even tractors without a cab,” he said. “You certainly had a long exposure for a full day and for many days out in the field.”
Farmers who spend long days in the sun are at risk, particularly if they are fair-skinned.
McKay said men are more prone to developing malignant melanoma on their backs than women are, likely because they spend time outside without a shirt. Women are more likely to see it on their legs.
McKay said the cumulative effects of exposure to ultraviolet light, either in natural sun or a tanning bed, are the real concern.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world.
“It’s very curable if it’s caught early,” she said. “If there’s a delay in diagnosis, we may have problems, particularly with the melanoma.”
In 2009, more than 75,100 Canadians were diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer. About 5,000 were diagnosed with melanoma and 940 died.
McKay urged people to avoid tanning beds and protect themselves outdoors.
“We like people to avoid going out in the sunlight between 10 and 3. We like them to seek shade whenever they can. We like them to use a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. And we want them to wear a hat with a broad brim and protective clothing if they’re very fair.”
