Skin cancer: Legalization of sunbeds in NI is madness, says expert.

“Crazy” sunbeds will not be banned in Northern Ireland because of their link to skin cancer, as elsewhere in the world, an Australian dermatologist has said.

Jim Muir found that tanning salons “significantly” increase the risk of melanoma.

They have been banned in Australia for over a decade.

Belfast has been dubbed the “Sunshine Capital of England” with data showing that 37 percent of adults in the city use it.

Mr Muir spoke to BBC News NI as he traveled to Northern Ireland to share his experience of working in Australia, the “melanoma capital of the world”.

“Going to tanning salons is crazy, just crazy,” the director said, adding that doing so causes premature aging and exposes people to cancer-causing ultraviolet (UV) light.

Mr Muir joked that in Australia “we can get melanoma and skin cancer for free by going outside” but in Northern Ireland sunbathers “have to pay for it”.

A self-proclaimed “sun worshipper” who has suffered from skin cancer has told the BBC that it is not enough to warn people about the risk of melanoma.

“You just look at how much we know about smoking and cancer,” says Lynn Stevenson.

“The dangers of sunbeds and not protecting yourself from the sun and cancer are real, but I don’t think we’ve done enough about it.”

It can be divided into two types: melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

Melanoma is a type that can spread to other parts of the body. The most common symptom is the appearance of a new mole or a change in an existing mole.

This can happen anywhere on the body, but the back, legs, arms, and face are most commonly affected.

In most cases, melanomas have an irregular shape and more than one color.

They can also be larger than normal moles and sometimes itch or bleed.

Figures from the NI Cancer Registry show that there are around 400 cases of malignant melanoma in Northern Ireland each year, with an average of 60 deaths per year.

Non-melanoma skin cancer is very common and less frequent – statistics show that there are an average of less than 4,000 cases per year, 1% of which result in death.

Factors that increase the risk of melanoma include age, pale skin, a large number of rodents, and a family history of skin cancer.

But the main reason is exposure to the UV rays that come from the sun and are used in sunbeds.

Lynne Stevenson was a “self-confessed sun worshipper” who admitted that she “felt healthy, surprisingly” when she painted.

In the year She remembers sitting in the garden in the summer of 2023, noticing a new mole on her knee.

Because he knew the pharmacist ABCDE checklistIt can be used to evaluate the difference between a normal mole and melanoma.

When she was diagnosed with malignant melanoma, Lynn was “completely shocked” because she didn’t get a painful sunburn when she stained her skin.

The cancer is caught early and has not spread. And while she used to use sunbeds, she now adds, “Fake tan and factor 50 will be the rules I live by.”

“I looked at the number of people in Northern Ireland who were using sunbeds and I wanted to talk to them and you know what, I was like you, and I didn’t think it would happen to me and I didn’t.” I think the danger is there.

“It helps a little bit with my skin because I feel that beautiful healthy glow, but when I got cancer again, it wasn’t healthy.”

The most common symptom is the appearance of a new molecule or a change in an existing one.

This may be a change in color, shape, or size, or if the mole is painful or itchy.

The NHS also advises people to see their GP if they get a new or unusual rash that doesn’t go away after a few weeks.

Asymmetry: Two halves differ in shape

Border: Uneven or jagged edges

Color: Plain/Plaid; Black, white, gray, brown or pink shades; Two or more colors = suspicious

Diameter: For most melanomas, at least 6 mm

Growing: changing in size, shape or color

‘Funny’: Check it out if it looks weird or if you’re not happy for any reason

In the year In 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified exposure to ultraviolet sunlight, sunbeds and tanning beds as carcinogens.

That same year, Brazil became the first country to ban tanning beds for cosmetic purposes. In 2013, Australia banned commercial sunbeds.

In Northern Ireland, under-18s are not allowed to use sunbeds – but for Australian dermatologist Mr Muir, that doesn’t go too far.

“If it’s not safe when you’re under 18, it’s not safe when you’re over 18.

“Sometimes you have to protect people from themselves. We have speed limits, we have seat belts, we have crash helmets.

“It doesn’t make sense to expose yourself to a carcinogen that you can get rid of. And it’s a strong carcinogen, something that causes cancer.”

“There are no immediate plans for a ban on sunbeds,” the Department of Health said.

He added: “However, future regulatory measures relating to sunbeds have not been ruled out under the Department’s Skin Cancer Prevention Strategy, which aims to reduce the incidence of skin cancer.”

The risk can be reduced by avoiding sunbeds and tanning beds and taking precautions in the sun – for example, using sunscreen and reapplying regularly.

There are also resources such as Action Cancer’s skin cancer screening service, launched in April 2023.

The charity’s senior skin cancer specialist nurse Iona McCormack said they had “taken over 100 cases of skin cancer” since it started, including 12 to 14 cases of malignant melanoma.

She said it was “very high” and not what she expected when she started.

“Unfortunately, we saw people delay in seeking treatment during the outbreak and since then we are finding that patients are sometimes reluctant to bother their GP,” he said.

“I think that’s why we’ve probably picked up more than we thought because people see this as an alternative service.”