The territorial delegate for Health and Consumption, Juan de la Cruz Belmonte, has visited El Palmeral Beach, where the ‘Campaign for Awareness and Early Detection of Skin Cancer in Andalusia’ has been carried out. An initiative that has been carried out between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. simultaneously in the eight Andalusian provinces and that has three objectives: to raise awareness among the population of the risk of suffering from skin cancer, promote its early detection and encourage healthy photo habits.
This campaign is organised by the Andalusian Health Service (SAS) in collaboration with the ‘Soluble Project’, the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), scientific societies and professional associations to raise awareness among the population about the prevention of skin cancer.
Belmonte was accompanied by, among other authorities, the president of the AECC, Magdalena Cantero, and the councillor for Cuidad Activa, Antonio Jesús Casimiro. They were able to observe how multidisciplinary teams made up of specialists in Dermatology and Family Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy and volunteers from the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC) carried out skin checks and provided information for the prevention of this pathology.
The delegate recalled that “sun protection is an essential part of maintaining our health and preventing serious illnesses. It is essential to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation in order to enjoy the sun in a safe and healthy way.”
Scientific societies and professional associations
The campaign has had the collaboration of the Spanish Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (AEDV), the Andalusian Society of Family and Community Medicine (SAMFYC), the Spanish Society of General and Family Physicians (SEMG), the Spanish Society of Primary Care Physicians (SEMERGEN), the Andalusian Society of Medical Oncology (SAOM), the Andalusian Council of Nursing Colleges, the Andalusian Council of Medical Colleges (CACM) and the Andalusian Council of Official Colleges of Pharmacists (CACOF).
Thanks to this collaboration, the population has found multidisciplinary teams at each of the provincial points that have provided them with personalized and multidisciplinary care. In this way, specialists in Dermatology and Family Medicine have carried out skin checks with a dermatoscope, reporting any suspicion of malignancy.
Nursing staff provided health advice explaining the risk factors and instructed users on how to perform a skin self-check and recognise the warning signs of skin cancer. Finally, pharmacy staff provided personalised advice to citizens on topical and oral photoprotection, also teaching them how to read the packaging of sunscreen creams and information on how to apply them correctly. In addition, free samples of sunscreens were distributed to participants.
The locations where the campaign was carried out in the rest of the provinces were: the Paseo Marítimo de la Playa El Palmeral, next to the Monumento al Pescador (Almería), the Glorieta Ana Orantes (Cádiz), the Fuensanta Swimming Pool (Córdoba), the Patio del Ayuntamiento (Granada), the Chimney Room of the Casa Colón (Huelva), the Fuentezuelas Swimming Pool (Jaén), and the Playa de los Boliches (Fuengirola).
Comprehensive Health and Photoprotection Plan in Andalusia
On Monday, the Minister of Health and Consumption of the Andalusian Government, Catalina García, announced the preparation of a new Comprehensive Health and Photoprotection Plan in Andalusia, which will aim to protect the population from the harmful effects on the skin resulting from exposure to ultraviolet radiation. All of this will be articulated through intersectoral measures that promote awareness, acquisition and maintenance of photo-healthy lifestyle habits related to photoprotection, with the aim of preventing skin cancer and other diseases related to overexposure to ultraviolet radiation.
The PISFA, which is being worked on by the Directorate General of Public Health and Pharmaceutical Regulation of the Ministry of Health and Consumer Affairs, has objectives such as promoting photo-healthy lifestyle habits at all levels (education, work, sports, tourism, etc.); training in the subject of the people involved in the Plan, or promoting collaboration and coordination between the different sectors (education, employment, agriculture, etc.) with the aim of joining forces and harmonizing actions aimed at promoting photo-healthy habits in the entire population.
It also proposes the promotion of truthful communication to citizens about the benefits of these good habits, while highlighting the misinformation disseminated in this regard, and, finally, the promotion of research and innovation in the area of photoprotection, as well as its relationship with disease prevention.
Results of the 2023 campaign
The first edition of the campaign, which was carried out last year with the support of the AECC and with the advice of the ‘Soludable’ Project, had the participation of more than 600 users throughout Andalusia, with Granada (150) and Seville (120) being the cities with the most participants and a total of 56 in Almería.
Among all the check-ups carried out, 25 basal cell carcinomas, 3 squamous cell carcinomas and 3 melanomas were detected. “This year we want to surpass these figures and reach more than a thousand participants and detect more than 100 precancerous or cancerous actinic lesions,” explained Magdalena de Troya during the presentation.
Although the campaign is aimed at the general population, it pays special attention to people who are most vulnerable to sun damage and the development of skin cancer, such as the elderly, those with fair skin, those who work outdoors or play sports or other outdoor activities. Likewise, emphasis will be placed on people with more than 50 moles, large moles or moles from birth, people with a personal or family history of skin cancer, genetic diseases such as albinism or xeroderma pigmentosum, transplant recipients on immunosuppressive treatment or people undergoing oncological treatment, among others.
Tips for preventing skin cancer
Skin cancer can be prevented. Around 50% of melanomas and up to 90% of skin carcinomas (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) could be prevented with healthy sun protection habits from childhood and throughout life.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends reducing sun exposure time at midday, staying in the shade, protecting the skin and eyes by using hats, sunglasses, covering clothing and sun creams appropriate for each skin type.
In addition, it is recommended to drink plenty of water and eat foods rich in antioxidants. These measures should be put in place when the Ultraviolet Index (UVI) reaches a value of 3 or more and should be increased according to the increased danger of solar radiation. These recommendations apply to any activity carried out outdoors, not only on the beach, but also at work, while playing sports or any other leisure activity.
Likewise, extreme caution should be exercised in situations of individual vulnerability (childhood, old age, pregnancy, skin type, history of skin cancer or predisposing diseases) or environmental risk (UVI value of 8 or more, cloudiness, wind, reflected radiation). On the other hand, UV lamps are carcinogenic, so their recreational use is not recommended.
From a global health perspective, moderate sun exposure is necessary to maintain adequate levels of vitamin D. Since the sun is the main source of vitamin D, people at risk of hypovitaminosis should monitor their plasma levels of 25-OH vitamin D3 and increase their intake through food or dietary supplements if necessary.
The ABCDE rule
Nursing professionals will also explain to people who come to the provincial points the ABCDE rule, a measure that can be very useful to detect melanoma early, the most dangerous skin cancer: A for asymmetry (one half of the mole is not the same as the other); B for irregular edges (the edges are uneven, blurred or poorly defined); C for color (the pigmentation is not uniform and changes in color are observed from one area of the mole to another); D for diameter (the mole changes in size and measures more than 6 millimeters) and E for evolution (the size, shape or color of the mole changes over time).