Q: My mother always tells me to wear long sleeve shirts and sunscreen when I garden. She says sun is bad for you and causes skin cancer. I am worried that she is not getting enough Vitamin D as she never gets a sun tan and her skin is very pale.
A: Some doctors believe that we worry too much about getting skin cancer from too much sun. The most deadly form of skin cancer, malignant melanoma, has little to do with exposure to the sun. It has more to do with the number of moles a person has.
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If you have more than a hundred moles, you are more likely to get melanoma, which is cancer of the brown or black pigmented cells of the mole. The tendency to have lot of moles is inherited.
Sunburn in childhood and early adulthood has been linked to mild types of skin cancer, such as squamous cell carcinoma, but they are treatable unless neglected for a long time. They are the flaky red bumps that older people often get on their faces and noses. They are easily removed with a laser or minor surgical procedure in the dermatologist’s office.
Children and very light-skinned adults should use sunscreen. Getting a gradual suntan is not as harmful as previously thought, but it might give you wrinkles sooner.
Vitamin D is produced by sunshine hitting the skin. Most Canadians do not get enough because of our long, cold winters when most of our skin is covered.
Apart from the benefits of preventing osteoporosis, Vitamin D can affect weight loss. Researchers in Washington, D.C., found that people deficient in Vitamin D had a harder time losing weight with a low calorie diet than those taking Vitamin D supplements.
Tell your mother to buy some short-sleeved blouses or T-shirts.
Smoking and surgery
Q: I am due to have major surgery soon. The doctor says that I should try to stop smoking beforehand. Will it make a difference if I quit now, just weeks before my operation?
A: Yes, it is definitely worth quitting. Anesthetists will tell you that even if you stop smoking one day before your operation, your heart and lungs will start working better. This is because the carbon monoxide and nicotine levels in the body will be lowered, so your circulation will improve.
After surgery, you will heal faster and there will be less risk of infection. It would be best if you can stop smoking without using the special gum or patches, because these products will obviously not lower your nicotine levels.
Clare Rowson is a retired medical doctor living near Belleville, Ont. Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor. She can be reached at health@producer.com.
