Category Archives: Skin Cancer

Hope for new skin cancer therapy as UK cases soar

Posted on by

Researchers discover a technique that can kill melanoma cells with few toxic side effects, but warn there is still no cure

Skin cancer rates are rocketing. Thanks to over-enthusiastic sunbathing in previous decades, melanoma cases have tripled in numbers in the UK since the early 1990s – and scientists predict worse is to come.

The type of cancer once relatively rare in Britain is now its fifth most common. Broadcaster Chris Evans recently revealed he had been diagnosed with the disease.

Continue reading...

Netherlands to provide free sun cream to tackle record skin cancer levels

Posted on by

Dispensers will be in place at schools, parks, sports venues and festivals across country this summer

Citizens of the Netherlands are to be offered free sun protection this summer in an effort to tackle record levels of skin cancer in the country.

Sun cream dispensers will be made available this summer in schools and universities, at festivals, parks, sports venues and open public spaces across the country, according to the government.

Continue reading...

Research on ‘molecular drills’ of skin cancer cells offers hope for treatment

Posted on by

Institute of Cancer Research in London isolates gene that allows tumours to spread through the body

Skin cancer cells produce “molecular drills” to penetrate healthy tissues and spread around the body, according to research that raises the prospect of new therapies for the disease.

Researchers used robotic microscopy to capture the formation of the drills by melanoma cells that were being grown in 3D skin-like material in the laboratory.

Continue reading...

Skin cancer death rates for men in UK have tripled since 1970s

Posted on by

Men 69% more likely to die from melanoma than women, says Cancer Research UK, warning that lack of sun protection is a factor

Skin cancer death rates among men have more than tripled since the 1970s, research reveals, prompting fresh warnings from experts to stay safe in the sun.

Since 1973, death rates from melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – have increased by 219% in men, compared with the rise of 76% in women, Cancer Research UK found. As many as 1,400 men are now dying from the disease each year, in contrast to 980 women. This amounts to a total of six people a day, the charity said.

Continue reading...

Alcohol linked to more cancers than thought, study finds

Posted on by

Imperial College London researchers also find that drinking coffee protects against liver cancer

Consuming alcohol increases the risk of getting more cancers than previously thought, according to a major study, which also found that drinking coffee protects against liver cancer.

Alcohol consumption is linked to several cancers including those of the head and neck – mouth, pharynx and larynx – oesophageal and bowel, along with the more widely known connection with breast and liver cancer, according to an international team led by Imperial College London.

Continue reading...

Scientist Prue Hart: ‘Sunburn causes havoc in the skin – we should avoid it’

Posted on by

The inflammation researcher explains the health benefits and dangers of soaking up the sun

Prof Prue Hart is head of the inflammation research group at the Telethon Kids Institute in Perth, Australia, which studies the beneficial effects of sunlight exposure on our health and whether these are the result of UV-induced vitamin D or other molecules produced in our skin upon exposure to sunlight.

What exactly happens when the sun hits our skin?
Sunlight is made up of three components: there’s the visible light that gives colour to everything we see; infrared light, which provides the heat; and ultraviolet (UV) light, which is probably the most important for our health.

Continue reading...

The FDA issued warnings to makers of supplements claiming sun protective benefits.

Posted on by
That's what the US Food and Drug Administration found in late May, issuing warning letters to the manufacturers of four of these products. The supplements -- Advanced Skin Brightening Formula, Sunsafe Rx, Solaricare and Sunergetic -- were "putting people's health at risk by giving consumers a false sense of security that a dietary supplement could prevent sunburn, reduce early skin aging caused by the sun, or protect from the risks of skin cancer," according to an FDA news release .

Sunscreen pills falsely promise protection against UVA and UVB rays, Schumer says

Posted on by
Sen. Chuck Schumer on Sunday railed against companies claiming to sell the benefits of sunscreen in a pill form, arguing the method is not effective against sun damage and should be taken off the shelves. Schumer said several companies sell such pills, falsely promising protection against UVA and UVB rays.

States are finally letting kids bring sunscreen to school without a doctor’s note

Posted on by
Susan Grenon makes sure her son is lathered with sunscreen before he leaves for school in the morning, but the fair-skinned 10-year-old can't bring a bottle to reapply it without a doctor's note. Many school systems categorize sunscreen as an over-the-counter medication requiring special paperwork, but several states have been pushing to loosen restrictions to make it easier for kids to protect themselves from skin cancer.

More states allow sunscreen at schools without doctor’s OK

Posted on by
Susan Grenon makes sure her son is lathered with sunscreen before he leaves for school in the morning, but the fair-skinned 10-year-old can't bring a bottle to reapply it without a doctor's note. Many school systems categorize sunscreen as an over-the-counter medication requiring special paperwork, but several states have been pushing to loosen restrictions to make it easier for kids to protect themselves from skin cancer.