Skin cancer rates among people aged 55 and above are rising, study finds

Skin cancer rates among people aged 55 and above are rising, study finds
Fecha de publicación: 
4 July 2016
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A latest study found that skin cancer rates in people aged 55 and above are on rise. The widespread prevalence of holiday packages has apparently played a part in the large spike in skin cancer rates in middle-aged and older people because the ‘sun, sea and sangria generation’ looks out for the sun.

On yearly basis, 10,000 people in over 55s age group get melanoma diagnoses annually in Britain. In the mid-90s, it was just 3,100 diagnoses annually.

This is not all about the diagnoses. The Cancer Research UK report has also found that the number of senior people losing lives due to skin cases has gone up to 2,000 deaths a year.

 

In 1957, the British European Airways launched flights from London to Alicante, Spain for the first time for the promotion of its white beaches. However, numerous people visited there to enjoy their holiday, but hardly any of them took precautionary measures to remain guarded from the hazards of sunburn.

A 70-year-old retired teacher, Sue Deans, was part of the so-called ‘sun, sea and sangria generation’. Deans got diagnosed with melanoma two times, and it was spotted well in time. Following a successful surgery, Deans has been leading a healthy life since.

Deans said that being out in the sun was a quite good pastime for her. She even worked on her tan. With the passage of time, she got sunburnt ‘quite a bit’.

A report published in Cleburne Times Review revealed, "According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, each year in the United States more than 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are treated in more than 3.3 million people."

Each year more skin cancer diagnoses are made than the combined diagnoses of cancers of the breast, lung, prostate and colon. In an average lifetime, about one in five people will develop some type of skin cancer, according to the SCF.

Because about 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun, it makes sense to try to avoid, or reduce, exposure as much as possible, Alexander said.

“If it’s melanoma, there’s no cure,” Alexander said. “Some of the less aggressive tumors are not lethal. Once you remove that section of the skin, you’re usually cured.”

According to a story published on the topic by Pan Armenian, "Ultraviolet rays are responsible for the body to produce Vitamin D, which is crucial for human health. A deficit in this vitamin D is the likely cause of health problems related to inadequate sun exposure. Depriving the body of vitamin D benefits can lead to health problems like diabetes, prostate cancer, multiple sclerosis tuberculosis and rickets."

Vitamin D is essential during pregnancy and nursing as adequate blood levels of Vitamin D have been linked to lower premature labor and overall complication risk. Low Vitamin D levels can put a mom at higher risk for gestational diabetes and can lead to bone or other problems for the baby. A recent study found that pregnant women should get more sun to increase several health markers for themselves and their babies.

A major study done by Swedish researchers at the Karolinska Institute has found that persons who avoid the sun altogether actually have a higher risk of skin melanomas. They also have double the risk of dying from any health issue – including cancer. The study, which followed almost 30,000 women for 20 years, was recently published in The Journal of Internal Medicine.

A study carried out by the Universities of Southampton and Edinburgh suggests that medical advice on the risks and benefits of sunbathing may need to be rewritten. Scientists have claimed that sunlight may lower blood pressure – reducing the risk of serious heart disease. According to them, avoiding sunlight “out of fear” may be increasing our risk of cardiovascular diseases – including heart attacks and strokes – for which high blood pressure is a key risk factor.

 

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