Don't let sunburn be your summer holiday souvenir
11 November 2016
Bad sunburn in childhood increases your risk of developing potentially deadly melanoma, prompting warnings for Aussies to ensure sunburn isn’t their summer holiday souvenir.
Melanoma Institute Australia CEO Carole Renouf has issued the reminder as the festive season draws closer and families prepare to embark on their annual summer holidays.
‘The summer holidays in Australia are renowned for families enjoying long playful days in the sun, surf and sand,’ Ms Renouf said. ‘Whilst summer holidays are the perfect time to reconnect with family and friends and recharge after a busy year, they are also the prime time for severe sunburn.
‘In addition to being painful, sunburn can have a far more harmful impact. Intense, intermittent exposure leading to sunburn at a young age significantly increases your risk of developing melanoma in the future,’ she said.
One Australian dies from melanoma every six hours. Melanoma is the most common cancer affecting 15-39 year-old Australians and the leading cause of cancer death in 20-39 year-olds. The incidence of melanoma in the over 60s is also high, a legacy of sun-damage from decades ago.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is damaging to skin cells as it causes mutations in DNA and it also impairs the immune system’s ability to repair. Intense, intermittent sun exposure leading to sunburn – particularly in the years prior to puberty – is the most dangerous. Melanoma can develop decades after such exposure.
The real tragedy of melanoma is that it is largely preventable. Sunscreen acts as a barrier, reducing the amount of UV radiation that reaches cells. However, the active ingredients in sunscreen break down quickly, meaning a single application in the morning will not last the whole day. It needs to be reapplied at least every two hours and it needs to be SPF50+.
‘People relaxing on holidays tend to get sun-safe before they head out in the morning, but then get caught up in the day’s activities and forget the basics like covering up and staying out of the sun during hottest part of the day,’ Ms Renouf said.
‘I urge holiday-makers to not become complacent and actively take steps to help protect against the serious risks posed by just one bad case of sunburn, particularly to children and adolescents.
‘And when you arrive home is a perfect time to check your skin for any changes. You need to get to know the skin you’re in and ask family and friends to check places you can’t easily see.
‘There are far better souvenirs to bring back from a summer holiday than a bad sunburn, which has the potential for serious ramifications,’ she said.
Summer holiday check list
- Apply and re-apply SPF 50+ sunscreen
- Wear a broad-brimmed hat, sunglasses and cover up
- Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day
- Get to ‘know the skin you’re in’, and ask family members or friends to check for skin changes in places you can’t see, as melanoma is most common in men on the back and in women on the calves.
- Opt for a keyring or fridge magnet as your summer holiday souvenir, don’t bring sunburn home with you
60 Minutes' MIA Patient Feature Program
Five years ago Julie Randall was diagnosed with melanoma and was given months to live. The melanoma had spread throughout her body. The doctors said it was incurable and she’d be lucky if she survived the next nine months. Julie, a patient at Melanoma Institute Australia under Professor Georgina Long was placed on an experimental drug trial. To watch the entire program, visit 9now.com or click here.
Training our future melanoma experts
Meet our latest Surgical Oncology Fellow, Eva Nagy, to find out more about life as a surgical oncologist, why she came to MIA and what she hopes to achieve.
Update from ASCO 2017
Melanoma research at ASCO this year focussed on the more precise use of current treatments to ensure optimal treatment for each patient.
Diagnosing melanoma of the mouth
MIA recently demonstrated that reflectance confocal microscopy is a useful tool in the clinic to diagnose suspicious-looking lesions in the mouth.
New practice-changing research will reduce the need for major surgery in many melanoma patients
New research is likely to change the way melanoma is managed in many patients by reducing the need for major surgery and its associated morbidity and cost.
MIA researchers to share new findings at world's largest cancer conference
Researchers from MIA will present their latest research findings to the world’s largest oncology conference in early June.
Australian researchers pioneer life-extending treatment for advanced melanoma patients with brain tumours
Australian researchers are the first to demonstrate that patients with advanced melanoma which has spread to the brain can have increased life expectancy and possibly even beat the disease.
Melanoma March 2017 wraps up!
Melanoma March 2017 - that's a wrap! Thank you to everyone that helped make it happen.
Melanoma March 2017 helping kick start the Big Data for Melanoma national Research Project!
Thank you so much to all those who contributed in a variety of ways to Melanoma March 2017 in 17 different locations and more around the country! You have contributed to getting the Big Data for Melanoma national Research Project happening!
Whole genome sequencing finds unexpected genomic landscape in melanoma
By looking at the ‘dark matter’ of the genome, new research has found that genetic changes in acral and mucosal melanoma are completely different to mutations found in skin melanoma.
Shining a light on melanomas that aren't caused by the sun
‘Slip, slop, slap’ is synonymous with being Australian and playing it safe in the sun. These sun smart rules reduce our chances of getting melanoma of the skin. However, new research tells a different story for those affected by rarer forms of melanoma.
New research which more accurately predicts survival for melanoma patients
Using MIA's patient database, researchers have developed conditional survival estimates for Stage III melanoma patients to more accurately predict survival outcomes.
Celebrating 60 Years of melanoma research to save lives
MIA is proud to be celebrating an important milestone – the 60th anniversary of melanoma research and Australian-led global efforts to find a cure.
Celebrating our research achievements
Research achievements by MIA were celebrated at the annual Sydney Medical School recently.
Global Melanoma Research Report - April
In this Global Research Report we showcase advances in medical oncology, reveal unexpected pathology in acral and skin melanoma, and uncover biomarkers and new gene targets for melanoma.
The people behind the Professors
Professor’s Long and Scolyer are well known in the academic community and beloved by their patients. But we wanted to get to know our new Conjoint Medical Directors a little more and hear their plans on making an impact on melanoma.
Wyong Rugby Leagues kicks goal to help end melanoma
Wyong Rugby League Club Group has joined forces with Melanoma Institute Australia to help end melanoma for future generations.
Melanoma research reaches a milestone
Melanoma research has reached a milestone with the 10,000th patient giving their permission for their blood and tissue samples to be used in the world’s largest melanoma biospecimen bank.
Contributing to the promise of Surgical Oncology
MIA's researchers and clinicians are in Seattle, USA, today sharing their research findings at the prestigious Society of Surgical Oncology’s Annual Cancer Symposium.