SKIN CANCER PREVENTION.
Sun Protection, Nanoparticles & Vitamins.
Sun Protection, Nanoparticles & Vitamins.
Adults are usually better at protecting kids from the sun than themselves. The roller coaster of modern life can often leave us wondering if it’s worth the time and effort to prevent something that may never happen a few years down the track.
In Queensland, that argument doesn’t hold because around 80% of Queenslanders get skin cancer at some stage.
We all know that UV light damages the skin. Indeed, UVB damages DNA, leading to inflammatory changes such as Sunspots. In this sense, Sunscreen offers immune protection.
Parents often bring their kids for a skin cancer checkup at a Skin Clinic so that the kids can be informed by a doctor about the need for good sun protection.
Let’s have a tongue-in-cheek look at some of the reasons why Australians don’t all follow through with regular sun protection.
Then there’s the knowledge aspect. How do you use sun protection? Adults forget what they were taught as preppies, and guidelines have changed a bit. Here’s a look at some facts that you might not know about sun protection²:
Around 80% of UV radiation passes through clouds which is why you can get sunburnt on a cloudy day³. Light shade is only equivalent to a sun protection factor of 2!
At what age can you trust kids to apply sun protection without supervision? This is a thorny question, but it’s not unusual to see adolescents with severe sunburn. Is your kid very resistant to using sun protection? Then ask your doctor to help at the next visit.
Even small amounts of UV Exposure increase the risk of skin cancer. However, we all know that vitamin D is good for us, and that Vitamin D Deficiency is the other side of the coin.
A sensible compromise has prevailed in latest draft guidance between skin cancer experts & Endocrinologists. The idea of always covering up has gone out of the window. So what do these guidelines say?
Use sun protection for activities outside lasting more than a few minutes when the UV index is 3 or more.
This table shows the average daily UV index at noon in different capital cities.
Location
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
June
July
Aug
Sept
Oct
Nov
Dec
Darwin
11
12
11
6
8
7
7
9
11
11
11
10
Brisbane
11
10
9
6
4
3
3
5
7
8
10
11
Perth
11
10
8
5
3
2
2
4
6
8
9
10
Sydney
10
9
7
5
3
2
2
3
5
7
8
8
Adelaide
11
10
7
5
2
2
2
2
5
7
9
10
Melbourne
9
9
6
4
2
1
1
2
4
6
8
9
Hobart
8
7
4
3
1
1
1
2
3
4
6
7
It’s worth noting that more Vitamin D is produced by exposing larger areas of skin to smaller amounts of sunlight, than smaller areas of skin to larger amounts of sunlight.
Let’s look at Brisbane where the average lowest UV index – in the winter months – is 3. Umm, you say, this is more than 2 and so I’ll need to use sun protection every day of the year. Not necessarily. The average UV index in the table is at 12pm, and you probably won’t need to cover up earlier or later in the day in the winter months.
The average UV index at noon in the middle of the winter is still high enough to recommend regular sunscreen in Perth, Darwin, Cairns & Brisbane throughout the year. In Sydney, Perth & Adelaide you should be OK in June & July. In Melbourne, it’s usually OK to stop using sunscreen in May, June, July & August. Someone working outdoors, playing golf or boating really should check the UV index.
For the daily UV forecast then check out MyUV, or download the sunsmart app for your phone. This will provide the best indication as to whether you need to slip-slop-slap on any given day.
There are two major types of UV light in relation to skin cancer:
Sunscreens are either:
The white stuff that Professional cricketers often have on their nose is the traditional physical sunscreen – very effective but messy to use. This led to the development of smaller physical particles called nanoparticles.
There has been concern about the safety of nanoparticles⁴ for two reasons:
Australia’s Therapeutics goods administration 2017 report on nanoparticles in sunscreen concludes that nanoparticles Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide are unlikely to cause harm ‘when used as ingredients in sunscreens and when sunscreens are used as directed.’
The conclusion is that nanoparticles are considered safe. However, talk over any concerns at your next checkup with your skin cancer doctor.
Vitamin B3 is also called Nicotinamide, and there has been evidence that Vitamin B3 can help protect the skin from UV light.
There’s good news in late 2015. A trial published in the coveted New England Journal of Medicine (probably the most highly respected medical journal in the world) was very encouraging¹. People who had at least two non-melanoma skin cancers in the previous 5 years were randomised to either placebo or Nicotinamide 500mg twice daily. After 12 months, there were 23% fewer non-melanoma skin cancers in those who had taken the nicotinamide.
What does this mean? There is solid evidence to recommend Vitamin B3 (Nicotinamide) 500mg twice daily in anyone who has had at least 2 skin cancers in the last 5 years. This includes BCC and SCC. The same dose of Vitamin B3 had previously been reported to reduce Sunspots in people with pre-existing Solar Keratosis.
You can buy Vitamin B3 tablets at the chemist & there are various brands to choose from. Just make sure you get the 500mg strength tablets.
You are welcome to make an appointment at our skin cancer clinic in Cleveland, Brisbane Bayside.