Am I at risk of melanoma?

Are you at risk of developing melanoma? In this short video, Dr Karen Baynon summarises what factors may increase your lifetime risk of growing potentially deadly skin cancers, including melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

What are the risk factors for melanoma?

You are at higher risk of developing melanoma (a deadly form of skin cancer that is diagnosed in one Australian every five hours) if you:

• Have lots of exposure to the sun,
• Have suffered five or more severe sunburns over your lifetime,
• Have ever used a solarium (tanning bed),
• Have a high number of moles on your skin,
• Are immunosuppressed,
• Have a family history of melanoma,
• Have had melanoma previously, or
• Have fair skin.

What are the risk factors for other types of skin cancer?

In the video, Dr Karen Baynon (who practises in skin cancer medicine at the Sunshine Coast Skin Cancer Centre in Birtinya, Queensland) also covers the factors that put you at a higher risk of developing non-melanoma skin cancers like squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.

In addition to the risk factors mentioned above, you are also at high risk of growing these types of skin cancers if you:

• Are male,
• Are older than 55, or
• Have had chronic sun exposure (e.g. from working outdoors).

Does wearing sunscreen lower skin cancer risk?

Dr Baynon talks about a Queensland-based study that explored the efficacy of sunscreen in reducing skin cancer risk.

See all this and more in the full video below!