Skin cancer on rise, protection
essential for health
By Laura Pelner
Summer
Reporter
Many people believe that tan skin is beautiful skin.
That attitude is beginning to change though, as more people realize the
dangers of tanning and overexposure to the sun.
Nancy Maylath, the director of the Student Wellness
Office, said that tanning definitely carries risks.
She added, "I think one might find that the attitude
about a tan is changing and has been changing over the years. Many people
mock the fact that a tan is called healthy because a tan means your skin
has been damaged."
Frank Rosenthal, an associate professor in the School
of Health Sciences, had similar thoughts. "I don't think there's any health
justification for tanning. There is a justification for not doing it —
it's counterproductive," he said.
The American Cancer Society recommends not tanning
at all. Mary O'Connell, the director of skin cancer initiatives for the
society, said, "We really discourage people from getting tan."
O'Connell confirmed that our culture is dependent
on the attitude that people look better with a tan. She said, "We'd like
to change that around but it's hard. Tanning does have long-term effects.
We want people to protect the beauty of their natural skin, not damage
it."
Protecting skin from the sun's ultraviolet rays is
important because overexposure to the sun can cause cancer. The American
Cancer Society estimates that 56,900 people will get skin cancer in 2000
and that 9,600 will die from it. This figure does not include basal cell
or squamous cell cancer types.
Melanoma, which is the fastest growing cancer in
the country, and also the most prevalent, will affect 47,700 people and
cause 7,700 deaths.
Rosenthal said, "Melanoma is the more serious skin
cancer and also the most common in the U.S. It is believed that sun exposure
causes melanoma."
Amy Sartwell, the administrative assistant for the
American Cancer Society of Lafayette, said, "80 percent of skin cancers
could be prevented by protecting skin from the sun's rays."
One way to protect skin from the sun is to wear sunscreen.
O'Connell said that sunscreen with a sun protection factor 15 is the absolute
minimum people should wear. "SPF 15 blocks out 93 percent of the ultraviolet
rays."
O'Connell further explained that SPF 30 does not
offer twice the protection of SPF 15. Since SPF 15 blocks 93 percent of
the ultraviolet rays O'Connell estimated that SPF 30 may block 96 percent
and SPF 45 may block 98 percent.
"No sunscreen totally blocks the rays," said O'Connell.
Maylath explained a further distinction between sunblocks
and their efficiency regarding SPF. Maylath said that SPF 15 is considered
ultra-protection for blondes, redheads and fair-skinned people. "SPF 23
and above is a sun blocker. It is recommended for people who have had
a pre-cancerous skin condition," she said.
Sunblock needs to be reapplied throughout the day
for full effectiveness. Furthermore, just because a person wears sunscreen
it does not mean he or she should extend their time in the sun.
A study conducted by the American Cancer Society
found that 72 percent of Americans age 11-18 had at least one sunburn
in the summer of 1998. O'Connell said, "If we can't stop people from getting
sunburned we can't stop them from getting skin cancer."
He added, "It's amazing what people will put themselves
through, that they will go through a burn as part of their summer."
Although many people get sunburns during the summer,
few go see a doctor. Maylath said that essentially no one goes to Purdue's
health center for sunburn treatment because she thinks they generally
know how to care for one.
Yet, she added, "I think people don't know when a
burn is so serious that they need immediate care and they need to be monitored."
If a sunburn results in blisters, if the skin is
swollen, or if a person is dehydrated from the burn, those are all signs
that the body is responding and has been damaged.
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