PUBLICATION DATE:
Diario EL PAÍS
The British Hospital adheres to a campaign that seeks to report the damage caused by ultraviolet radiation.
Within the framework of its permanent health education policy, the British Hospital adhered to the skin cancer prevention campaign, promoted by the Uruguayan Dermatology Society (SDU), with the support of the Department of Dermatology of the Faculty of Medicine of the Udelar, the Honorary Commission for the Fight against cancer and the Ministry of Public Health.
In Uruguay, each week two people die from skin cancer, which motivated the initiative in which British Hospital approached members and users’ suggestions on photoprotection, to avoid skin damage caused by ultraviolet radiation.
"We have to be aware of the problem to start protecting ourselves properly," pointed out Dr. Carlos Carmona, head of the hospital's dermatology Department and vice president of the SDU. He explained that a correct protection "not only consists of using good quality sunscreens and adequate levels of protection but also to adopt a global strategy."
The specialist called it "think that sunscreens are not only for the beach, but also for daily outdoor activities," he said. To the use of protectors, he added the one of “suitable clothing, in many cases with UV protection”, hats, and the search of shadow to walk or to protect yourself.
"A whole series of strategies that avoid acute sun damage, in ways of burns, skin redness, heatstroke with systemic effects, such as fever, and especially long-term effects," he summarized.
"The emphasis of protection must be on children and adolescents," as the "80% of ultraviolet radiation that is received throughout life is estimated to be received before the age of 20," he said. He remarked the need to avoid sun beds as tanning alternative because "they have the same cumulative effect as solar radiation".
There are two major types of skin cancer: carcinomas, basal cell and spin cellular, and melanoma. Both carcinomas "have a high frequency" and the first one explains "more 90% of malignant tumors.” Melanoma, meanwhile, "is much less frequent but more aggressive."
Carcinomas "are usually associated with chronic sun exposure" and are usually seen in ages from 50 or 55 years old. The good news is that "these are cancers that, for the most part, are treatable and curable," even with non-surgical treatments.
Meanwhile, those who are at higher risk of developing a melanoma, are "the lowest photo types, those that respond worse to solar exposure, that are very white, that are freckled, that are redheads, those that have a very limited tanning ability," he added.
He recommended tight control of the dermatologist for these populations, and recalled that the British Hospital has a dermatological imaging service for the study of moles and other skin lesions, for the purpose of it proper follow-up.