OT:Another article on skin cancer

This one cites different statistics that the one previously
discussed.http://tinyurl.com/al6a9 This one was in my local paper
today.
If you can't open the link it basically states that people should avoid
sunburn. Five or more sunburns double the risk of a person's developing
skin cancer over a lifetime. Sunblock and proper clothing are key.
Statistics quoted from a report of the American Academy of Dermatology
state that one American dies of melanoma every 68 minutes.

"ahmward" <nospam.ahmw...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:oOadnS3hce0otwbfRVn–...@giganews.com...
Thanks Audrey for posting this. I would hate for some teenager
to read the statistics in that other post and think it was OK to
tan the way people used to.
––AJ

AJ wrote:
<<Thanks Audrey for posting this. I would hate for some teenager to read
the statistics in that other post and think it was OK to tan the way
people used to.>>
That other post included this:
<<The suggested "dosage" by the way, is about 15 minutes a couple of
times a week.>>
It's hard for me to imagine how anyone above the age of eleven could
interpret "15 minutes a couple of times a week" as "go ahead, burn all
you want."
And it's hard for me to imagine that the figure of approximately 8700
melanoma deaths a year would scare teenagers very much more than the
figure of 7000.
But I guess there's always the possibility that the statistics from the
American Academy of Dermatology are suspect also.
Lily

"Lily" <Lil...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:3649–429BF0D2–...@storefull–3215.bay.webtv.net...
Very little seems to scare teenagers. That's why they still hang out at
the tanning parlors and bake in the sun. My mother was an ardent sun
worshipper. In the late 30s and 40s she spent a lot of time in the sun
in Miami and then continued the practice when she moved to California in
the 50s. In the early 80s she had patches of melanoma on her head.
She never referred to it as such but that is what it was. Luckily for
her it didn't kill her but it was a very scary experience.
Audrey

Audrey wrote:
<<Very little seems to scare teenagers. That's why they still hang out
at the tanning parlors and bake in the sun.>>
ITA. They are immortal; it won't happen to *them.* I recently read
that while the majority of teenagers have heard all the warnings about
sun exposure a large number shrug them off. The two strongest
adolescent desires are to fit in
and to look attractive. If bronzed is beautiful, they want to be
bronze––no matter what.
It's the same attitude as that of college and high school athletes who
were interviewed about steroids. They were asked that if they knew
using steroids would make them superior athletes but would also shorten
their lives, would they use them anyway?
A huge majority said yes. I don't recall how many years early they were
willing to die, [it varied] but I think it was as much as five.
Lily

My mother also tanned quite a bit when she was younger – applying a
mixture of baby oil and iodine on us as 'lotion'. Fry much? She's had
small skin cancers removed periodically over the years. She's 84 now
and has absolutely gorgeous skin, peaches and cream with very few
wrinkles.
As for the article on the good/bad aspects of sun exposure – it's like
most anything, while a little can be beneficial, a lot can be harmful.
As for me, I don't sunbathe anymore but also don't wear sunscreen for
incidental exposure (walking to and from the car, riding in car, etc).
For outings involving any considerable amount of time outside, I wear
sunscreen.
Linda

AJ wrote:
Puss n Boots just called. He has a saucer of milk ready for you.
Chillled, who's had one basal cell carcinoma removed and looks forward
to a lifetime body checks

"Lily" <Lil...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:3649–429BF0D2–...@storefull–3215.bay.webtv.net...
Lassie just called; he wants his bone back. I think 7000 people,
young people or middle–aged people, are a lot. I think 8700
people––one every 67 minutes––is also a lot. Heck, I think
1500 people (in case anyone watched Nightline on Memorial Day)
is a lot.
I have not always understood how it is the best way to err
on the side of caution and on the side of compassion, but,
thankfully, I have now been blessed with that understanding.
Clearly, Lily, this entire subject and thread mean something
else to you, which I don't pretend to understand.
And please, feel free to have the last word. I don't care about
being right; I care about a three year old and a three month old,
whose mother is going to die, and Audrey's five year old neighbor.
Not some idiotic debate on usenet.
––AJ, letting go of her bone

"chillled" <chill...@hotmail.comeuppance> wrote in message
news:_0vne.275451$cg1.4...@bgtnsc04–news.ops.worldnet.att.net...
| AJ wrote:


| > "Lily" <Lil...@webtv.net> wrote in message
| > news:3649–429BF0D2–...@storefull–3215.bay.webtv.net...
| >
| >>AJ wrote:
| >>
| >><<Thanks Audrey for posting this. I would hate for some teenager
to read
| >>the statistics in that other post and think it was OK to tan the
way
| >>people used to.>>
| >>
| >>That other post included this:
| >>
| >><<The suggested "dosage" by the way, is about 15 minutes a couple
of
| >>times a week.>>
| >>
| >>It's hard for me to imagine how anyone above the age of eleven
could
| >>interpret "15 minutes a couple of times a week" as "go ahead,
burn all
| >>you want."
| >>
| >>And it's hard for me to imagine that the figure of approximately
8700
| >>melanoma deaths a year would scare teenagers very much more than
the
| >>figure of 7000.
| >>
| >>But I guess there's always the possibility that the statistics
from the
| >>American Academy of Dermatology are suspect also.
| >>
| >>Lily
|| >
| > Lassie just called; he wants his bone back.
|| Puss n Boots just called. He has a saucer of milk ready for you.
|| Chillled, who's had one basal cell carcinoma removed and looks
forward
| to a lifetime body checks
|I've had moles removed as well, thankfully none were cancerous. I'd
rather err on the side of SPF 50 than be tan and dead.
I also have yearly checks by my derm and/or my general physician.
Anything suspicious gets a second look.

I find Americans to be hat adverse (except for those stupid baseball
caps that give you a telltale tan.) I think it's about not being
comfortable with standing out. I'd wear a lot of hats if I could
afford Eric Javits. I have one perfect straw hat that my mother wears
now and I have a 5 inch brim sunblocking white hat for myself that I am
definitely going to wear all the time when I go travelling in Asia. I
like how Australians incl. men are really smart about wearing hats.

Audrey wrote:
<<This one cites different statistics that the one previously
discussed.http://tinyurl.com/al6a9 This one was in my local paper today.
If you can't open the link it basically states that people should avoid
sunburn. Five or more sunburns double the risk of a person's developing
skin cancer over a lifetime. Sunblock and proper clothing are key.
Statistics quoted from a report of the American Academy of Dermatology
state that one American dies of melanoma every 68 minutes.>>
Of course you should avoid sunburn; nowhere in my original post did I
quote any information that suggested you should tan or burn at will.
But as another poster pointed out, the sunburns you got while you were a
kid are the most likely causes of skin cancers.
While a death every 68 minutes sounds dramatic, the figures from the AAD
study you cite are roughly equivalent to 8760 fatal melanomas a year, as
opposed to the figure of 7,000 I cited which was a projection calculated
by the American Cancer Society.
Lily

I was listening to talk radio last week (my father's choice). I think
it was Rush Limbaugh. He was talking about Americans and sunscreen
use. He said that with sunscreen blocking the sun's rays, people were
also blocking the synthesis of Vitamin D. We apparently (according to
Rush) don't get enough Vitamin D from diet and supplements alone.
Also, apparently a lack of Vitamin D can lead to cancer. The whole
speech seem sponsored by Hollywood Tans, and didn't make any reference
to death statistics. But who knows, there may be some truth to what he
says.

ahmward wrote:
I don't think anyone was arguing that. The new Vit D research is not
recommending you get a sunburn. They recomemnd just 15 minutes three
x's a week without sunblock.
As with all things in life, moderation is the key.
jen

"shinypenny" <shinypenny0...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1117554861.443806.278...@o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com...
Forty–five minutes probably accounts for the time people do basic daily
things such as getting into and out of the car, walking to public
transportation, picking up the mail, newspapers etc. It's moderation
with the remaining 10, 035 minutes.
Audrey

ahmward wrote:
Yeah, you would think, but from the research I did about the Vit D
thing, it may not quite be that easy. For example, if you're wearing a
long sleeve shirt and long pants, it'll take much longer. The 15
minutes is a general guideline and apparently it means with both legs
and arms exposed, i.e., like when you're lying on the beach in a
swimsuit.
In winter those in Northern climates, particularly those with darker
skin, actually have a very difficult time keeping Vit D levels adequate
due to the slant of the sun and the fact we tend to cover up all but
our face when it's nippy out.
As for me, I wear sunscreen under my foundation year round, so even for
basic daily things, I'm effectively blocking vit D. And my previous
routine, for days when I am out in a bathing suit or clothes leaving my
arms and legs exposed, I put the sunscreen on 15 minutes before leaving
the house, to give it time to absorb, as is recommended. This is the
habit I'm now considering changing: instead of putting it on before I
leave, perhaps it's wiser to put it on 15 minutes after I've already
been outdoors.
jen

Oops, correcting myself – apparently, it's arms & legs OR face &
arms....
"Sunlight exposure provides most people with their entire vitamin D
requirement. Children and young adults who spend a short time outside
two or three times a week will generally synthesize all the vitamin D
they need. The elderly have diminished capacity to synthesize vitamin D
from sunlight exposure and frequently use sunscreen or protective
clothing in order to prevent skin cancer and sun damage. The
application of sunscreen with an SPF factor of 8 reduces production of
vitamin D by 95%. In latitudes around 40 degrees north or 40 degrees
south (Boston is 42 degrees north), there is insufficient UVB radiation
available for vitamin D synthesis from November to early March. Ten
degrees farther north or south (Edmonton, Canada) this "vitamin D
winter" extends from mid October to mid March. According to Dr.
Michael Holick, as little as 5–10 minutes of sun exposure on arms and
legs or face and arms three times weekly between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm
during the spring, summer, and fall at 42 degrees latitude should
provide a light–skinned individual with adequate vitamin D and allow
for storage of any excess for use during the winter with minimal risk
of skin damage ."
This sounds simple, but how many of us are able to get outside during
the workday from 11–2 pm? And what about those with darker skin?
jen

I am of irish descent and in my 50's, We always stayed in the sun too
much as kids, and both me and my sister have had two non–malignant skin
cancers removed. I have stayed out of the direct sunlight for about 15
years now and have not had any more problems. If I go to the beach, it
is only in late afternoon with plenty of sunscreen and an umbrella. We
both burn easily which may be the biggest warning sign for children.
Perhaps teens can use those new spray–tans that seem to be surprisingly
lifelike, but peer pressure to be bronzed and gorgeous is always going
to be there unfortunately. At least the 'leather–type tan" seems to be
history, that was ghastly.

I have coached high school football for 37 years, suffered two heart
attacks in 2003, had 4 stents, triple by–pass, lost 165 lbs, and just
when I was feeling great..... I now have melanoma. Wearing just a
baseball cap doesn't get it, I have had surgery twice for the melanoma,
hopefully, not another one. Take these people's advice here. Its not
fun.
Mark

<Lions...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:29551–429E80BB...@storefull–3316.bay.webtv.net...
I am so sorry to hear this. I hope you can beat it.
Audrey

Lions...@webtv.net wrote:
Sorry to hear that. I hope the last surgery did the trick.

Chilled, if you have time could you please e mail me. Thanks so much.
Audrey


"chillled" <chill...@hotmail.comeuppance> wrote in message
news:afwne.275647$cg1.268...@bgtnsc04–news.ops.worldnet.att.net...

My gym also has tanning booths and more than once I've wanted to flash
my lovely cetipede scar on the upper arm at teens signing up for a dose
in the little room. Melanoma, it was. Too many years in boating, I
blame.
I'm in Florida, and am pretty zealous about sunblock. In light of the
findings about vitaimin D, I now allow myself 15 minutes in the sun
with a good book after 3 pm.
Meanwhile, I'm still using the Banana Boat tan–in–a can Mousse stash
(discont'd, of course)