healthspin
by Rebecca D. Soine, MD
Skin Cancer: A Common Concern for Golfers
Each year, more Americans are diagnosed
with skin cancer than all other cancers
combined, and many of them are golfers.
Consider golf pros Tom Kite, Rory
Sabbatini and Andy North. They are among
one in fi ve Americans who develop skin
cancer by the age of 70.
According to a skincancer.org estimate,
each year professional golfers receive more
than 200 times the amount of ultraviolet
(UV) radiation required to cause a burn. Even
recreational golfers should take note: every
Rebecca D. Soine, MD
North Oaks Dermatology hour out on the course you are exposed to
3.5 to 5.4 times the amount of UV radiation
Associates
needed to cause sunburn. In addition to the
sun, golf course features like water in ponds
and sand in sand traps refl ect UV radiation,
hitting the skin a second time.
Eighty-six percent of melanomas, the
most fatal of skin cancers, are caused by
exposure to UV radiation from the sun. And
a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he
or she has had more than fi ve sunburns over
their lifetime.
Golfers Randy Jones and Aron Price
are two of those whose time on the course
undoubtedly added to a melanoma diagnosis.
Price, an Australian golfer, had three bouts
with non-melanoma cancer before he was
diagnosed in 2010 with melanoma.
Partly because he is fair-haired with
freckles, Jones’ wife begged him to see a
Sunscreen, hats
and protective
clothing are a
must.
18
dermatologist for screening. When he fi nally
consented in 2011 to a doctor’s visit, a biopsy
was performed. What appeared to be a
mole turned out to be melanoma, eventually
spreading to his right kidney. An additional
tumor was found on his brain.
Today, Jones shows no evidence of cancer.
But, he urges his fellow golfers to use sunscreen
daily and to get their skin screenings.
In addition to annual screenings, consider
these tips:
• Try to schedule early morning and late
afternoon tee times for extra protection from
the sun’s strongest UV rays.
• Look for sunscreen that blocks both
ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB)
rays and that have a sun-protection factor
(SPF) of at least 15. For extended outdoor
activity, use a water-resistant sunscreen with
an SPF of 30 or higher. Reapply sunscreen
every two to three hours. Try applying before
the fi rst tee and reapply at the ninth green
and 10th tee.
• Apply sunscreen to every area that may
be exposed to the sun, especially the top of
the head, ears, face, lips, neck, hands, arms
and legs. Consider wearing sun-protection
clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Examine your skin head-to-toe every
month.
Source: skincancer.org