|
People
who spend little time out in the sun are at a higher risk
of skin cancer than those who spend much of their time outdoors,
according to researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia.
Those who only go out in the sun on weekends and holidays
are at the greatest risk.
Researchers
found that people who spend a lot of time indoors to avoid
the sun may actually be increasing their chances of developing
melanoma. This is contrary to the long-held belief that those
who spent the most time in the sun were the most likely candidates
for melanoma.
"We
have discovered that it is the pattern of sun exposure, not
the time spent in the sun, that is the major determiner of
the type of skin cancer that is contracted," said Bruce
Armstrong, head of Population Health and Health Services Research.
Melanoma,
the most deadly form of skin cancer, is most frequently linked
with indoor workers who only have intermittent exposure to
the sun, said Armstrong.
Armstrong
has been studying the relationship between the sun and skin
cancer for 25 years. Australia has the highest rate of skin
cancer in the world, according to The Cancer Council NSW.
As many as one out of every two residents of Australia will
contract skin cancer of some type during their lifetime.
Source:
Medical Week staff,
week of April 7, 2002
|
HOME PAGE
