Sin the snow It is forbidden to do without sunscreen. MelanomaIndeed, it has no seasons and for this reason we must never let our guard down. Not even in winter, especially when you go to the mountains. Particular attention should be paid to the eyesat risk of uveal melanoma. He explained it Professor Paolo AsciertoPresident of the Melanoma Foundation and director of the Melanoma Oncology, Oncological Immunotherapy and Innovative Therapies Unit of thePascale Institute of Napleson the occasion of the tenth edition of Immunotherapy and Melanoma Bridge, which was held in Naples.
Snow and melanoma: watch out for ‘tanning’ at high altitudes
«Melanoma, the most aggressive skin cancer, it has no seasons. Consequentially Prevention should never go on holiday. Especially when you are in the mountains and in the snow. The cold, in fact, does not protect against UV radiation, far from it. Exposure in the mountains is greater than in other low-altitude areas. This happens because the layer of atmosphere that can partially absorb radiation from the Sun thins as altitude increases. Specifically the intensity of UV rays increases by approximately 10% every 1000 meters of altitude. Therefore UV rays affect our skin with greater intensity. Snow also acts like a giant mirror and reflects 80% of UV rays towards the body, the face and even the eyes, which are particularly stressed. Why 100% UV protection glasses are essential or anti-UV protective glasses”, underlines Professor Ascierto.
Snow and melanoma: prevention 365 days a year
Despite this, there are many, indeed too many people don’t realize the need to use sunscreen in winter. According to what emerged from the investigation of theAmerican Academy of Dermatologywhose results can also reflect what happens in Italy, when it is cold only 13% of people plan to use sunscreen when going for walks or hikes. 4% use it when shoveling snow and only 6% during outdoor games or sports. «Sun protection is vitally important because ultraviolet rays are always presentregardless of the season or time of day. Even on cloudy days, up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays can penetrate the clouds. If you don’t protect yourself, UV rays increase the risk of developing skin cancer,” warns Professor Ascierto.
Prevention: why it must be increased in winter
The lack of attention to primary prevention in winter then goes hand in hand with the little attention to secondary prevention, i.e. the control and examination of “atypical” or doubtful moles. In the cold season, remaining mostly covered for months, you risk not noticing the presence of anomalous formations. Winter is so long that a melanoma can have plenty of time to proliferate undisturbed. A study on over 1250 patients with melanoma, published in the journal Dermatologic Therapyshows that it is in the summer season that most diagnoses are made (29%), followed by spring (26.6%), autumn (23.1%) and lastly by winter (21.3%). For example, the rate of patients diagnosed in July is significantly higher than that of patients diagnosed in January, 11% versus 6%.
Melanoma: the importance of early diagnosis
«An early diagnosis can significantly influence the prognosis of a patient. Although new immunotherapy treatments have significantly increased the chances of cure of patients with advanced stage melanoma. Life expectancy for those who have a Early-stage melanoma reaches as many as 95% 10 years after diagnosis», he adds. The invitation is therefore to not be fooled by the low temperatures and to protect your skin from cancer in winter as well as in summer.
iO Donna © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED