This year Skin Cancer Action Week was launched with the use of 1700 beach towels emblazoned with chalk outlines representing the 1700 melanoma deaths that occur in Australia each year.

Sydneys iconic Bondi Beach was turned into a mock crime scene to physically show sunbathers the large number of deaths resulting from melanoma.

Melanoma is a cancer of the melanocytes (cells that produce pigment giving our skin its natural colour). Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer, as it can spread easily to other organs in the body.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation causes melanoma, and as much sun damage is sustained during childhood through to young adulthood, this is a critical time to minimise any over exposure to the sun.

See a doctor immediately if you notice any abnormal moles or lesions.

Researchers from the University of Melbourne and the University in Innsbruck in Austria are investigating a DNA repair enzyme found in kangaroos and many other organisms, but not humans, that is effective in repairing a particular type of damage linked to many skin cancers.

The researchers are simulating kangaroo skins exposure to harmful ultraviolet light in the laboratory, and then analysing the DNA repair process. This resulted in a number of chemical by-products that have not been seen before according to the researchers.

Never the less there is still much more research to be conducted. So please continue to protect your skin from skin cancer by covering up when in the sun with hats, long sleeves and plenty of sunscreen.

Hope you found this as interesting as I did.

Please email me at ian.katz@southernsun.com.au with any suggestions about how I can improve this communication.  

Regards Dr Ian Katz, Director