From tan to tears

Going on a summer holiday?

Remember the popular song “Summer Holiday” recorded by Cliff Richard and The Shadows? It goes like this:

We’re all going on a summer holiday
No more working for a week or two.
Fun and laughter on our summer holiday,
No more worries for me or you,
For a week or two.

We’re going where the sun shines brightly
We’re going where the sea is blue.
We’ve all seen it on the movies,
Now let’s see if it’s true.

Unfortunately all those fun and laughter filled days spent roasting in the sun exact a heavy price, often long after the memories of these sun-blessed days have faded. That is when the lovely tan you acquired turns you to tears when you realise that you may also have doubled your chances of getting skin cancer, now or in the foreseeable future! Skin cancer is a reality for many South Africans of all colours.

How a tan is produced

The sun produces energy in the form of ultra-violet (UV) rays that come in two types, namely:

• • Long-wave UVA rays that penetrate deep into the skin. Initially these were thought to be harmless, causing only sunspots, wrinkles, premature ageing and leathery skin. However, more and more research shows that they contribute to skin cancer.

• • Intense, short-wave UVB rays that have their effect near the surface of the skin. These rays react with the melanocyte cells in the skin, producing brown pigment in an effort to prevent them from penetrating the deeper layers of the skin. UVB has the ability to change the DNA in cells, leading to cell mutations that replicate uncontrollably, thus causing skin cancer.

Types of skin cancer

Skin cancer (non-melanomas and melanomas) is the most common form of cancer.

Non-melanomas usually affect those who have spent a lot of time in the sun. Of the non-melanomas, basal cell carcinoma is more common. They usually appear after middle age in the form of slow-growing, small red or pearly lumps on the face, nose or to the side of the eyes. They may also ulcerate, crust or bleed. If treated they can almost always be cured.

Squamous cell carcinomas, on the other hand, are less common but more dangerous. They also appear later in life, usually on the back of the hand, on the lip or ear as scaling red areas that ulcerate or bleed easily. If left untreated, they enlarge and may spread to other parts of the body.

The most dangerous form of skin cancer is known as melanomas. In contrast to non-melanomas, they don’t develop in people who have spent a lot of time in the sun, but they usually strike those who have overdosed when they did get exposed. At first melanomas are easily mistaken for ordinary moles as they appear as small black or brown spots, freckles or moles. Sometimes an ordinary mole can develop into a melanoma.

How to recognise skin cancer

Tumours can be distinguished from moles. Look out for the following:

• • Irregular edge. The edges of moles are usually smooth, but tumours have jagged or scalloped edges.

• • Colour variation. Tumours often have a mixture of colours, varying from black to brown or pink. Moles are of one shade only, even though different moles may each have a different shade.

• • Rapid growth. Ordinary moles do not grow after puberty and therefore an expanding mole is suspect.

• • Size. Moles are usually no bigger than the back of a pencil. Tumours easily grow bigger.

• • Change in sensation. Ordinary moles do not itch and are not painful. A change in sensation could therefore indicate a tumour. If the edge of a mole seems inflamed, crusting, oozing or bleeding, it should be investigated.

How to prevent skin cancer

The best way to prevent skin cancer is to stay completely out of the sun. If this is not possible, reduce any exposure to the sun by limiting the time spent in the sun and protecting your skin with sunscreen and appropriate clothes.

 

Sources
Summer holiday lyrics. Retrieved from: http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/cliffrichard/summerholiday.html

 

(Revised by M van Os)