1 in 5 had suffered a sunburn in the past
year, study finds
THURSDAY, March 2, 2017 (HealthDay News) --
Even after surviving the potentially deadly skin cancer melanoma, some people
continue to go out in the summer sun without protection.
That's the stunning finding of a study of
more than 700 melanoma survivors that revealed that 20 percent of them had
suffered a sunburn in the past year. And only 62 percent said they
"often" or "always" wore sunscreen when they were outside
on a summer day.
But many melanoma survivors are more vigilant
about sun protection than other people their age, the study also found.
"They're doing OK, but there's room for
improvement," said study lead researcher Rachel Vogel. She's an assistant
professor at the University of Minnesota's department of obstetrics, gynecology
and women's health.
Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical
officer of the American Cancer Society (ACS), agreed.
"Survivors are doing better than other
people, but that's not good enough," said Lichtenfeld, who was not
involved in the study.
Until now, little has been known about sun
exposure among melanoma survivors. So the new findings offer "important
information" to doctors caring for those patients, he added.
"There can be an assumption among health
care providers that patients are following our advice," Lichtenfeld noted.
"But we can't assume."
The findings were published March 2 in the
journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
Melanoma is the least common -- but most
dangerous -- form of skin cancer. The ACS estimates that roughly 87,000
Americans will be diagnosed with melanoma this year, and nearly 10,000 will die
of the disease.
While melanoma accounts for only 1 percent of
all skin cancers in the United States, it is responsible for most deaths.
What's more, melanoma has been on the rise
for the past 30 years, according to the ACS. There are probably multiple
reasons for that, Vogel said, but people's greater exposure to ultraviolet
light from the sun is thought to be one.
In general, doctors say, the most important
step people can take to cut their melanoma risk is to limit their exposure to
ultraviolet (UV) light -- from the sun or tanning beds.
And that advice certainly applies to melanoma
survivors, to lower the chances of a recurrence, Lichtenfeld said.
"We do know that additional UV exposure
adds to the risk. It's cumulative," he explained.
The new findings were based on a survey of
724 melanoma survivors and 660 adults the same age with no history of the
disease (the "control" group). On average, the survivors had been
diagnosed 10 years earlier, when they were between the ages of 25 and 59.
The good news, the study found, was that most
survivors were more vigilant about sun protection compared to the control
group.
But there was not-so-good news, too.
Three-quarters of survivors, for instance, said they typically spent at least
two hours in the summer sun on weekend days.
And that was often without optimal
protection. Roughly 38 percent said they usually did not wear sunscreen when
they were outside in the summer. And less than half said they typically tried
to stay in the shade, the findings showed.
Overall, 20 percent of survivors said they'd
had a sunburn in the past year. And 10 percent said they'd sunbathed with the
aim of getting a tan.
What the study cannot answer is why.
But Vogel speculated on some reasons.
The passage of time could be one, she said:
Other research suggests that melanoma survivors are fairly vigilant about sun
protection soon after their diagnosis -- but that wanes over time.
It's also possible that some survivors do not
understand how serious melanoma is, Vogel said. Unless they are fully educated
about the disease, they might not realize it's different from the much more
common, less aggressive forms of skin cancer.
Plus, Vogel said, "behavior change, in
general, is difficult."
Lichtenfeld agreed. While staying out of the
sun might sound easy, he noted, that's not always true.
Some people have jobs, or active lifestyles,
that keep them outside, Lichtenfeld said. And they may not always remember to
cover up or slather on sunscreen.
And, he added, "There is research
showing that for some people, tanning can be addictive."
To Vogel, the findings have a clear practical
implication: "Doctors and patients should talk about making sun protection
routine," she said. "Make it a part of your daily life to use
sunscreen, wear long sleeves and put a hat on."
But, that advice isn't only for melanoma
survivors, Vogel said. It can also help protect people from developing the
cancer in the first place, she said.
Amy Norton
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