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Medics warn, those who love sunbathing are at a higher risk of getting skin cancer than those who do not.
Sunbathing, a familiar relaxation activity synonymous with holidaymakers, exposes the skin to direct ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun.
Dr. Pranav Pancholi, a skin cancer specialist at Avane’ Dermatology and Venereology Clinic at Yaya Centre, warns that Kenyans in this category will need to be careful how they go about their holiday activities.
“There are several things connected to one’s likelihood to suffer from skin cancer,” Dr Pancholi says. “These include genetic predisposition, smoking, use of skin bleaching chemicals and exposure to the sun.”
Other risk factors include albinism, environmental carcinogens and skin infections with agents like human papilloma virus (HPV).
Ethnic communities with lighter skin are also more likely to suffer from skin cancer. Therefore, Africans, compared to Caucasians, are less likely to suffer from the disease in this realm.
That, however, is not a call for nonchalance in fighting the disease in our population, Dr Pancholi says.
The equator cuts through Kenya’s middle; where the sun’s rays are highly concentrated. As a result, Kenyans – compared to citizens in countries located away from the equator – are highly susceptible to UV related skin cancer.
Even so, despite our melanin concentration, the specialist quotes research showing that people of African origin are likely to suffer skin cancer on the hands and feet.
A cancer report of 2000-2002 shows that skin cancer incidence in Kenya is at 3.7 per cent in the male population and 2.6 per cent in the female population.
“This is the disease that killed Bob Marley, the reggae musician,” Dr Pancholi says, a reminder that skin cancer is deadly. Getting sunburn just once every two years can increase an individual’s risk of developing malignant melanoma (the deadliest skin cancer) by three folds, according to Cancer Research UK.
The survival of a skin cancer patient depends on the extent of the disease and the patient’s willingness to seek treatment at the earliest opportune time.
Treatment may involve surgery, treatment with laser, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Treatment is dependent on the type of cancer, location of the cancer, age of the patient, and whether the cancer is primary or a recurrence.
Dr. Pancholi, however, advises before one gets to the point where treatment is needed, it would be imperative to foster preventive measures. He says: “For those who love sunbathing it would be prudent to apply sunscreen which should be reapplied every 40 minutes when one is in water and every four hours when one is sunbathing without swimming.”
It would also mean that we adopt frequent cancer check-ups for skin cancer – at least every two years.
Skin cancer connection to the sun may be confusing since human beings benefit from the sun’s vitamin D and while Dr. Pancholi confirms this, he notes the sun’s best vitamin D source in the morning hours – just before 10am.
A good rule of thumb, according to Nairobi cancer registry, for decreasing ultraviolet light exposure is to avoid the sun between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Covering up with a T-shirt, hat and sunglasses also helps in preventing skin cancer. Should Kenyans holidaying this Christmas – sunbathing at exotic places – be worried for their skin?
Dr. Pancholi does not quite say so. “As long as you avoid getting sunburned you are safe,” he says.
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