The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal

MAY 2014

The 2012 edition of The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal features medically reviewed, reader-friendly articles such as tanning, the increasing incidence of skin cancer diagnoses among young women, & the prevalence of melanoma among white males over 50.

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the Scottish people in adopting healthier practices in the sun. In 2008, the Scottish government laid out an action plan, 'Better Cancer Care,' outlining strategies for preven- tion, early diagnosis, genetic and molecular testing, and treatment of melanoma and other cancers. 14 In 2009, the Scottish Parliament banned the use of sunbeds for those un- der age 18 and outlawed coin-operated, unmanned tanning beds. The law also required tanning salons to provide users with information about the health dangers of tanning. 15 The UK has a national skin cancer prevention campaign called SunSmart conducted by Cancer Research UK. 16 Separately, the British Association of Dermatologists runs a national campaign called Sun Awareness focusing on sun protection and early detection of skin cancers. 17 The Tom Burns Skin Cancer Trust, 18 founded by the family of Tom- my Burns (a famous Scottish football player who died of melanoma), and Melanoma Action and Support Scotland (MASScot) 19 are organisations that work towards fostering skin cancer awareness, supporting people with skin cancers, and raising funds for research. Despite such eforts, the incidence of skin cancer has contin- ued to rise, and the recent Macmillan national survey showed these campaigns may have failed to reduce adverse behaviours in the sun. A critical evaluation of the UK SunSmart campaign revealed that it has not efectively led to adoption of healthy sun protection behaviours; the evaluation called for a va- riety of strategies to improve the program's efectiveness. 20 Next Steps T hough eforts have been launched to educate Scots about skin cancer risks, sun protection, tanning avoidance, and the importance of skin self-examination and professional skin examination, they have not yet successfully translated into safer behaviours. The barriers that prevent success need to be explored for the sake of future skin cancer prevention campaigns. Some of the barriers identifed thus far include poor sun care knowledge among men, poor awareness of skin types, and females' belief that tanning is attractive. 21 Formal studies are required to assess the current level of skin cancer knowledge and preventative behaviours in the Scottish population. By uncovering the barriers to greater knowledge and sun safety, we will be able to adopt strate- gies to overcome them. ber of privately operated sunbeds, 13 and that the average cancer risk of using these sunbeds was comparable to ex- posure from the summer Mediterranean sun; the major- ity of these sunbeds produced UVB radiation levels that exceeded the European standard. Almost 90 percent of sa- lons did not impose a limit on the number of sessions, 81 percent provided inadequate information on their risks, 59 percent maintained no customer records and 33 percent failed to display guidance in using the machines. A num- ber of premises had no supervision, and anyone, including children, could use the facilities. This study also found that a signifcant proportion of the sunbed users interviewed did not know about the risks of sunbed use. Effectiveness of Prevention Campaigns E fforts have been made in Scotland to increase the aware- ness of skin cancer risks and to encourage and support Famed Scottish soccer player Tommy Burns, who later died from melanoma. Poor sun care knowledge among men has been a barrier to reducing skin cancer in Scotland. In 2009, the Scottish Parliament banned the use of sunbeds for those under age 18 and out- lawed coin-operated, unmanned tanning beds. References available on p.97 Photo © Getty Images 73

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