in the world , but it ’ s clearly not limited to our shores . Remember this when you one day get the opportunity to visit Bali , Fiji or Hawaii .
There are other types of non-melanoma skin cancer . A basal cell carcinoma is the most common form of non-melanoma skin cancer accounting for approximately 70 % of skin cancers . The other type is squamous cell carcinoma , which accounts for 30 % of non-melanoma skin cancers .
This leads us to the subject of this Research Review , in which Dr Snyder and his colleagues investigated ultraviolet exposure and skin cancer in individuals who participate in outdoor sports activities . They conducted a systematic review of the literature and found a total of 42 studies that involved skin cancer and outdoor activities . As the Southern Hemisphere summer arrives , this information is particularly pertinent for all the Aussie and Kiwi personal trainers that conduct outdoor training sessions in parks and on beaches from coast to coast .
Results : A multicentre study found that aquatic athletes and enthusiasts who participated in intense ultraviolet radiation exposure in water sports such as swimming , surfing , boating and sailing were almost a 2-fold higher risk for 2,600 accumulated hours of exposure across a lifetime , for developing basal cell carcinomas . To put this into perspective , I surf on average eight hours a week . So , in only six years I have doubled my risk of developing a basal cell skin cancer . I don ’ t even want to do the maths for my lifetime exposure !
Individuals that participated in hiking , snow skiing or climbing were at lower risk for developing basal cell carcinomas . The risk for developing squamous cell carcinomas was also higher in the water sports individuals , with a 30 % higher risk for squamous cell carcinoma and 20 % higher risk of melanoma .
A study conducted by del Boz found that almost 8 % of golfers had basal cell carcinomas , just over 2 % had squamous cell carcinomas and almost 2 % had melanomas . Noble-Jerks and colleagues conducted a study of cricketers from the Emu Cricket Club in Gunnedah , NSW . They reported that approximately one out of every three cricketers had at least one form of skin cancer . Coincidently , those with the skin cancers reported to either occasionally or very rarely use recommended skin protection strategies ( i . e . wide brimmed hat , long sleeve shirt , sunscreen ).
And of course , we cannot forget the surfers . Yours truly – Joe , myself and colleagues – conducted a study on skin cancer in surfers via a national online survey . Of around 1,400 Aussie surfers , we found that approximately 14 % had skin cancers diagnosed by their GP or dermatologist . Basal cell carcinoma was the most prevalent at 7 %, followed by squamous cell carcinoma at approximately 1 % and melanoma at approximately 1.5 %. The startling finding was that the melanoma prevalence we found was almost two and a half times higher than in the Australian general population . The most common sites for the skin cancers were the face ( 24 %), back ( 16 %) and arms ( 12 %) and males had more skin cancers than females ( 15 % versus 10 %).
THE QUICK READ
• Repeated sunburn significantly increases a person ’ s risk of melanoma skin cancer
• A melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer which , if undetected , grows very quickly and can spread to other parts of the body
• Researchers reviewed 42 studies investigating ultraviolet exposure and skin cancer in individuals who participated in outdoor activities ranging from surfing , boating and sailing to skiing , golf and cricket
• Melanoma and carcinoma incidence was higher in these activities than in the general population , but aquatic athletes and enthusiasts had the highest incidence
• Surfers and stand-up paddle boarders have greater ultraviolet exposure as they receive direct ultraviolet radiation exposure from the sun and its reflectance from the water .
NETWORK SUMMER 2020 | 43