12 April - Health - South African Melanoma Advisory Board embarks on skin cancer educational drive

In today’s show, we spoke to Dr Dagmar Whitaker – President of the South African Melanoma Advisory Board. We were talking about Skin Cancer. We all know Cancer is a problem in our country more especially as a result of the harshness of the South African sun. This is one of the reasons why the South African Melanoma Advisory Board together with SA Rugby legend, Rob Louw - survivor of melanoma have embarked on an educational drive to educate sports players and the general public on the importance of taking good care of one’s skin. They kicked off this campaign by visiting the Cape Cobra’s cricket and Stormers rugby teams and screened the players skins for any signs of skin cancer. Dr Whitaker explained more on how we can protect our skin from dangerous UV rays. The short message is: Never burn your skin, cover up and protect. Always use sun protective clothing and the highest factor sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher).
Don't use sun beds. Don't worry about Vitamin D deficiency or bad chemicals in the sunscreens. (Remember a chemical may cause cancer, the sun will cause cancer)
Check your skin on a regular basis. See a doctor or Dermatologist if you are at risk or have a mole you think is not all right, alternatively visit www.melanoma.co.za