Skin Cancer In Outdoor Enthusiasts

Australia is well known for its warm summer climate and outdoor seaside lifestyle living.

Given our love for the outdoor lifestyle, it is no wonder Australians have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. The famous slip, slop, slap initiative by the Cancer Council in 1981 ushered in a new era of sun exposure awareness in Australia. Prior to that, beachside patrons were consistently and confidently using coconut oil or baby oil to warm their skin and acquire that much coveted bronze tan.

How risky is it for your skin to regularly swim, run, walk, or surf?

Hobbies that are regularly enjoyed by millions of Australians could be impacting your risk for developing melanoma. To explore the impact of outdoor activities on skin cancers, researchers on the east coast of Australia have collected persuasive data that showcases just how pivotal consistent sun exposure is in the development of melanoma. And the results are alarming (see here). They found that surfers had the highest risk for melanoma; more than 100 times* that of the general population and twice as likely as that of just swimmers (1). Even people who just had a regular habit of walking appeared 79 times more likely* to have a melanoma than the general population (1). Not two or three times; 79 times!

People who regularly walk outside appeared 79 times more likely* to have a melanoma than the general population

Fortunately, most participants in the study were receiving regular skin checks and this aids the early detection and removal of these potentially dangerous skin cancers. This research further stresses the importance of surveillance skin checks in all people and especially in high-risk population groups—surfers, swimmers, walkers/runners.

Conclusion

In time we suspect data will reveal that any regular outside work with intermittent intense sunlight exposure will substantially increase your risk for melanoma. Keep your skin safe: keep covered with a hat, keep your sunscreen on, and make sure you get checked!

‍

DrKeith.

 * expressed as an odds ratio (OR), it was 119.8!

1 - Miller, I. J., Stapelberg, M., Rosic, N., Hudson, J., Coxon, P., Furness, J., ... & Climstein, M. (2023). Implementation of artificial intelligence for the detection of cutaneous melanoma within a primary care setting: prevalence and types of skin cancer in outdoor enthusiasts. PeerJ, 11, e15737.