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9th May 2024
09:10am BST
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in Ireland, with over 13,000 new cases diagnosed every year.
The National Cancer Registry of Ireland (NCRI) expects this number to double by 2040.
With this concerning forecast in mind, knowing what steps can be taken, the skin changes to look out for, and how to perform a self-exam is key to preventing the development of skin cancer.
By now, we (hopefully) all understand the importance of wearing SPF on our skin.
Not just when the sun is shining, but every single day.
SPF protects our skin against UV radiation—UVA and UVB.
UVA radiation makes up 95 per cent of all the UV rays that make it to the Earth’s surface and it contributes to the skin’s ageing.
UVB is a high-energy radiation that makes up the remaining five per cent and is associated with sunburn, which damages skin cells and causes DNA mutations that can eventually lead to melanoma and other types of skin cancer.
Wearing a good SPF is paramount to protecting against both forms of UV radiation.
Without it, your skin is left exposed, both from a purely aesthetic point of view and, more importantly, from a health perspective.
According to the Cancer Council, survival from melanoma is strongly linked with the depth of invasion, e.g. the deeper and thicker a melanoma is, the more likely to metastasise and be more difficult to treat.
Therefore, early detection is extremely important.
In many cases, melanomas are found by patients or their partners, and knowing what to look out for may help with early detection.
According to the Irish Cancer Society, skin cancers do not all look the same.
Melanoma mainly develops either from a new mole or a change to an existing one.
Moles can be present from birth or can appear later during childhood or adolescence and most moles are harmless.
Once a mole appears, it will usually stay the same shape, size, and colour for many years, often fading when a person reaches old age.
The cancer research organisation adds that a normal mole will be evenly coloured brown, tan, or black spot.
It can be flat, raised, round, or oval, but usually will be smaller than the size of the top of a pencil.
According to the Irish Cancer Society, the changes to watch out for in existing moles are:
It's important to note that not all melanomas develop from moles so it is vital to speak to your doctor if you spot other skin changes that are unusual for you.
The first important tip to remember with skin self-exams is to do them regularly.
Examine yourself from head to toe every month and learn where your moles, freckles and other skin marks are.
Stand in front of a long mirror and have a hand mirror that you can use to check parts that are hard to see.
According to the Mayo Clinic, several measures can be taken to help prevent the development of melanoma or skin cancer.
Such measures include:
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