This is an opinion column by Dr. Linda Lee, Site Lead for Skin Cancer at Niagara Health’s Walker Family Cancer Centre, published in the St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Falls Review and Welland Tribune.
Niagara is a great place to live and nothing beats a summer outdoors. Flanked by two Great Lakes, this region is blessed with many beautiful beaches. With the mild, warm climate, there are also a bounty of orchards, farms, nurseries and vineyards to explore. This makes it a desirable area to live, retire or have a summer cottage. Sailing, hiking, gardening and golfing are popular activities. However, the allure of the outdoors and warmth of sunshine comes with an increased risk of skin cancer.
Sunlight and UV radiation from tanning beds are primary culprits behind skin cancer. UV rays penetrate clouds and glass, causing DNA damage in our skin cells. This damage accumulates over time, leading to premature aging and, potentially, skin cancers like squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), basal cell carcinoma (BCC), and the more aggressive melanomas.
In Canada, skin cancer accounts for a third of all new cancer cases. SCCs and BCCs are the most common types and melanomas represent about five per cent of all skin cancers. Skin cancer develops over many years, or more commonly decades, after exposure to UV light. A single blistering sunburn in childhood doubles the risk of melanoma in later life. Use of artificial tanning beds before age 35 increases the lifetime risk of melanoma by 75 per cent.
Preventing skin cancer starts with minimizing UV exposure:
- Avoid tanning beds and excessive sun exposure, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Use sunscreen daily with SPF 30 or higher, and wear protective clothing, hats and sunglasses outdoors.
Unlike many cancers, skin cancer is often visible and can appear as abnormal growths or changes in moles. Early detection significantly increases treatment success rates, with self-examination playing a crucial role. People with skin cancer often find the cancer themselves or have it pointed out to them by a family member or friend. Anyone can learn to recognize suspicious skin changes that warrant medical attention.
Skin cancers are highly curable. SCCs and BCC have a cure rate of greater than 99% when treated with surgery, often in a doctor’s office. Radiation therapy can also treat these cancers when surgery is not possible. Melanomas have a high cure rate when detected early, if they are completely removed with surgery.
For skin cancers which are advanced and have spread to either the lymph nodes or other organs, there is still hope for remission and long-term survival. In the last decade, there have been incredible changes in cancer treatment for advanced skin cancer. Metastatic and non-operable skin cancers are now treated with immunotherapy (drugs used to augment the immune system to fight cancer cells) and targeted treatments (drugs that target specific abnormal pathways in order to stop cancer cells from growing). Unlike chemotherapy, these treatments are more effective and have fewer side effects.
At the Walker Family Cancer Centre (WFCC) at Niagara Health, a dedicated team of medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, and support staff are committed to cancer care. They conduct clinical trials and research advancements in skin cancer treatment, aiming to improve outcomes and patient care.
As the Site Lead for Skin Cancer at WFCC, it is with regret that I admit I used to love the warmth of the sun on my unprotected skin. Nowadays, I wear sunscreen every day and encourage you to do the same. As a medical oncologist, I usually see only melanomas and advanced cases of other skin cancers. When I meet with patients and their families, I always encourage sun safety and teach people how to examine themselves for skin cancer. My goal is to prevent people from getting skin cancer so that they never need to meet me or my colleagues at the WFCC.
To learn more about detecting skin cancer, please check out the following resources:
