Sun Exposure

1. Sun Exposure The learning goal: Describe the effects from the most prominent object in our solar system – the Sun

2. Primary Source = natural: the Sun!!! Secondary Source = artificial: tanning beds Ultraviolet Radiation

3. Types of Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) • UVA rays • Weakest rays • Impairs skin’s immune defense • Causes melanoma, wrinkling, premature aging • Prevalent in tanning salons (which emit 5X more UVA than natural sunlight!)

4. Types of Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) • UVB Rays • Stronger than UVA rays • Affects skin’s outer layers • Causes sunburn, skin aging, basal and squamous cell cancers • More intense during summer, closer to equator, and at higher altitudes • Prolonged exposure can also alter the immune system!

5. Types of Ultraviolet Radiation (UVR) • UVC Rays • Strongest, most dangerous rays • Receive little attention from scientists and doctors • Are usually filtered by the ozone layer and don’t reach Earth.

6. Youth are at risk because…. • They have high levels of sun exposure, • They have low levels of sun protection, • They have many outdoor jobs • Lifeguards, tree planters, student painters, camp counselors, etc. • They work many spring/summer jobs when they are out of school and the sun is strongest!

7. How Skin Cancer is Caused • UVR lowers the body’s immune system & makes it hard to destroy defective cells • Skin is tanned and/or burned via exposure • Damage is done to cells and DNA • Some cells die; some repair themselves by getting rid of the damaged DNA • Cells that cannot repair themselves, become defective • Defective cells that are not destroyed slowly grow and produce a tumor.

8. Three kinds of Skin Cancer Exist! • Melanoma • Basal Cell cancer • Squamous cell cancer • Actinic/solar keratoses (“pre-malignant”)

9. 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer? a person’s risk of developing skin cancer doubles if they have > 5 sunburns? Women with basal cell cancer TRIPLED from 1976 – 2003? Women with squamous cell cancer QUADRUPLED from 1976-2003? Did you know….

10. Melanoma • Least common; most serious • Starts as flat brown spot (~ freckle) • Asymmetrical shape • Common on upper back in men; calf & back in women

11. Basal Cell Cancer • On sun-exposed areas • Starts as blister-like bump • Can grow and eventually becomes crusted • Usually spot is clear/flesh colored; can be pigmented

12. Squamous Cell Carcinoma • Develops on background of severe sun damage • Has scaling with pink or brown coloring • On sun-exposed areas • Scaling can be picked off but reforms

13. Actinic/Solar Keratoses • Are “pre-malignant” • Some will develop into squamous cell carcinoma • The scaly lesions will become harder, elevated, and more crusted

14. Negative Aspects • Wrinkles • Brown sunspots on your skin • Aging • Possible death • Need for surgery or chemotherapy to remove cancer

15. Why is it important to be informed? • Melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, is almost always curable when it is detected early. • It can be prevented by being sun wise • Early detection is key! • The sun is fun, but can become dangerous • Children need help protecting themselves

16. Barriers of Communication • “It won’t happen to me” attitude • Tans are seen as attractive • Can be a result of childhood burns • People are in the sun often enjoying sports, beaches, parks, etc. • Being protective is a nuisance to some • Not being informed of the proper prevention techniques

17. PROTECT YOURSELF! • Reduce sun exposure between 10am – 4pm • Seek (or create your own) shade • Wear clothing that covers your body • Use sunglasses and wide brimmed hats • Apply sunscreen with SPF15 or higher • Use these precautions on cloudy or overcast days as well.

18. Did you know??? • Year-round sun protection is important • The sun's harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation can penetrate many types of clothes? • It can also go through automobile and residential windows? • It can damage your eyes, contributing to cataracts, macular degeneration, and eyelid cancers? • When you're on snow or ice, your face and eyes are at almost twice the risk of UV damage because of reflected glare? • The American Cancer Society estimates 8,790 deaths from skin cancer in 2011

19. Risk factors that increase the chances of skin cancer… • Unprotected exposure to UV radiation • Fair complexion • Family history • Multiple or atypical moles • Severe sunburns as a child

20. What are the signs of skin cancer? • Any change on the skin, especially in the size or color of a mole or other darkly pigmented growth or spot, or a new growth • Scaly-ness, oozing, bleeding, or change in the appearance of a bump or nodule • The spread of pigmentation beyond its border such as dark coloring that spreads past the edge of a mole or mark • A change in sensation, itchiness, tenderness, or pain

21. 1. Wear protective clothing that serves as a barrier between the skin and the sun. T 2. Use a sunscreen with sun protection factor of 15 or more if outdoor s during the midday. T F F 3. Melanoma incidence has been steadily rising, affecting people of all ages. T F 4. Farm workers are continually at risk of developing skin cancer of the head, face, ears, or neck. T F 5. Skin cancer cannot be associated with a single event, such as a painful sunburn, but rather with the progressive changes in the skin's makeup over years of sun exposure. T F Sun Exposure Quiz

22. Answer Key1. T 2. T 3. T 4. T 5. T