Be sun smart - Derriford Hospital offers advice for Sun Awareness Week

Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust Skin Cancer Team will be holding a ‘Sun Awareness’ display in the main reception of Derriford Hospital on Wednesday 1 May between 10am and 2pm for Sun Awareness Week (6 – 12 May).

Staff from the local Cancer Awareness and Screening Project will be on hand to give advice and information on how to enjoy the sunshine without causing skin damage.

Ruth Devlin, Clinical Nurse Specialist said: “The number of patients developing skin cancer is rising so it is really important that patients check their skin regularly and seek help and advice from their GP at their earliest opportunity.

“We have two full time Skin Cancer Nurse Specialists here at Derriford Hospital and we see around 220 new cases of patients with melanoma every year.

“Most skin cancers are curable if detected early and the risk of someone being diagnosed with skin cancers is greatly reduced if they take care in the sun and follow the sun protection advice.”

Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers in the UK and it is estimated that there are 100,000 new cases each year. Most skin cancers are caused by overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

Be mole aware

Visit your GP if you notice a change in a mole. There is a simple checklist A,B,C,D and E.

Asymmetry – melanomas are likely to be irregular or asymmetrical. Ordinary moles are usually symmetrical
Border – melanomas are more likely to have an irregular border with jagged edges. Moles usually have well defined edges
Colour – melanomas tend to have more than one colour. They may have different shades like brown mixed with black, red, pink, white or a bluish tint. Moles are usually one shade of brown
Diameter – melanomas are usually more than 7mm in diameter. Moles are normally no bigger than the blunt end of a pencil (about 6mm across)
Evolving – changing, look for changes in the size, shape or colour of a mole.

Take care in the sun

Do not spend long periods in the sun during the da. Make sure you spend time in the shade, especially between 11am and 3pm. Make sure you never burn
Cover up with clothing that has a tight weave and wear a wide brimmed hat
Sunscreen should be applied around 15 minutes before you go into the sun and reapplied every two hours and after swimming
Use a sunscreen of Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 30 or above in accordance with your skin type. Make sure that it blocks both UVA and UVB radiation and look for the star rating **** or ***** on the label. Always ensure it is in date
Avoid the use of sunbeds
Make sure your children are dressed appropriately and that they are wearing a hat and a high protection factor sunscreen. Very young babies should be kept out of strong direct sunlight
Look for the CE or BS EN 1836:1997 mark on sunglasses as these offer the highest protection