Parents, young kids best at slip, slop, slap and wrap rule
Melanoma and skin cancer rates are rising, but there are hopes a new generation of youngsters taking on the sun smart messages may help to reverse that trend.
The Lakes District has seen a slight increase in the number of people diagnosed with melanoma with 64 people diagnosed in the 2011/2012 year.
The figures, which are the most recent available, are the highest in the past six years, with figures generally hovering around the mid-50s.
Cancer Society health promotions manager Dr Jan Pearson said it was hard to tell just how many skin cancer cases there were each year as only melanoma had to be notified - not other non-melanoma skin cancers like basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.
Dr Pearson said rates were still rising slightly and New Zealand still had one of the highest melanoma rates in the world.
"With an ageing population we know they will continue to increase."
However Dr Pearson said she believed the sun safety messages were getting through - particularly in some groups like parents of young children.
"Certainly the message is getting through but many people could do better."
She said preschools and primary schools had a real focus on the sun smart messages but that tended to drop away slightly as children reached their teenage years and fell into peer pressure of getting a tan.
Some older people took the approach that the damage had already been done and weren't as vigilant, Dr Pearson said.
She said one of the major problems in New Zealand was the climate - and the fact it could often be windy and cold but still have high UV levels.
Dr Pearson said people needed to be responsible and know their skin types as some were more likely to burn easily than others. Every time someone was sunburnt there was risk of damage, and that was worse in young children, she said.
A concerning trend was an increase in skin cancer and melanoma in younger generations which had been linked to the use of sunbeds, Dr Pearson said.
"We do not support sunbed use at all. We would love to see them banned."
Dr Pearson said it was important people remembered and understood the slip, slop, slap and wrap message - of slipping on a sun-protective clothing, slopping on SPF30+ sunscreen regularly, slapping on a wide brimmed hat and wrapping on sunglasses.
Bay of Plenty Cancer Society spokeswoman Rachael Mounsey said there was more to sun safety that simply applying sunscreen. She said covering up, wearing appropriate hats and seeking shade were also important.
It was also important that people applied enough sunscreen - with one teaspoon per limb recommended.
Work in promoting sun smart messages was "ongoing" in the Lakes district and she said schools in particular jumped at the chance to take part.
She said nationally, skin cancer was by far the most common cancer affecting New Zealanders with new melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer cases amounting to about 80 per cent of all the new cancer diagnoses each year.
Mrs Mounsey said men were at a higher risk. They had a higher incidence rate and thicker melanomas, and, consequently, poorer outcomes than women.
While Maori and Pacific Island people had very low rates of melanoma compared to the New Zealand population as a whole they had thicker lesions and more extensive disease at diagnosis.
MELANOMA DIAGNOSES FOR LAKES AREA
* 2006/2007 - 55
* 2007/2008 - 57
* 2008/2009 - 56
* 2009/2010 - 39
* 2010/2011 - 53
* 2011/2012 - 64
The figures are from a July-June reporting period.