Cancer Council Queensland is calling on Queenslanders cover up to help prevent skin cancer during this week’s National Skin Cancer Action Week.

Queensland has the unfortunate reputation of having the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with one in two Queenslanders developing skin cancer before the age of 85 years.

Cancer Council Queensland’s SunSmart Co-ordinator Rachel Adams said the need for sun protection has never been more important for Queenslanders coming into another hot Summer.

“Skin cancer is one of the easiest types of cancer to prevent, but it still accounts for 80 per cent of all new cancers diagnosed in Australia each year,” she said.

“Queensland experiences very high levels of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) all year round and therefore it is important to limit your exposure to the sun during the hottest part of the day, which is from 10am to 3pm.

“In our State, some people will sunburn in as little as 10 minutes on a fine Summer’s day and every incidence of sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer later in life.

“With sun exposure identified as the cause of around 99 per cent of non-melanoma skin cancers and 95 per cent of melanoma diagnoses, it is vital Queenslanders remain vigilant about protecting their skin this summer,” she said.

Ms Adams said there was no one way to stay safe in the sun, and people needed to adopt a number of SunSmart measures to fully protect themselves from the dangers of the Queensland sun.

Meanwhile, young Australians are apparently changing their attitudes towards tanning with fewer seeking the bronzed look than ever before, according to new Cancer Council research released yesterday.

Cancer Council’s latest National Sun Protection Survey conducted in Summer 2010-11, shows the preference for a suntan among 12 to 17 year-olds has steadily dropped, down to 45% since the previous surveys (51% in 2006-07 and 60% in 2003-04).

Ms Adams, welcomed the findings and said the survey demonstrated Australia’s public health campaigns were beginning to show real results that would, over time, lead to a reduction in skin cancer rates.

“The sun protection message is starting to cut through with teens more aware of the risks of tanning and sunburn,” she said.

“While these are encouraging results, we’ve still got a big job to convince the remaining 45% of teens to ditch the tan.”

A particularly worrying aspect of the research, according to Ms Adams, was that 12 to 14 year-olds were more prone to sunburn than older teens (15-17), even though they were less likely to seek to tan.

“This indicates that 12-14 year-olds are doing outdoor activities, which is a good thing, but they are neglecting to cover up,” she said.

According to the Australasian College of Dermatologists’ Dr Phillip Artemi, skin damage is cumulative, with sun exposure in younger years contributing to the lifetime risk of skin cancer.

“There are more than 10,300 cases of melanoma in Australia each year and it’s the most common cancer among people aged 15 to 44.

“We can expect this figure to drop over time as the trend for young people to avoid tanning continues to improve.” 

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