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Author:
Edward Bennett

Sun-seekers concerned about the threat of skin cancer can now take a quick test to find out how badly they might have been damaged.

The scientific test, whose launch comes as holiday-makers make their plans to top up their tans during warm Christmas breaks, can quickly determine how much damage sunbathers have inflicted on their skin over many years. Numerous campaigns have attempted to inform sun-seekers of the dangers from ultraviolet radiation linked with getting the perfect tan. Despite this, cases of skin cancer continue to rise with more than six thousand new cases of malignant melanoma, the most deadly type of skin cancer, diagnosed in the UK. Rates of skin cancer are going up rapidly among teenagers and young adults, with cases doubling in the last twenty years. Only last month the increased use of sunbeds and beach holidays were blamed for skin cancer becoming more common.

The new test, called Skin-physical, draws on work by skin cancer experts at Newcastle University, together with Canadian company Genesis Genomics. The Skin-Physical test is being offered via branches of the court house clinics.

Patients who opt for the test will give a small sample of their skin from just above the elbow. The sample is sent off for the laboratory tests and the results are used to provide customised sun-safety advice, that is available within a couple of days.

The advice the test can provide you with is such as the appropriate sun protection factor and star rating of sun cream patients should use and further advice on how to apply it.

It also informs patients about behaviour changes they should make to increase their sun protection and would allow them to enjoy the sun, but to enjoy it more safely.

About the author:

Edward Bennett,
Online PR for Court House Clinic, Cosmetic Surgery.

| Article Keywords: Skin Cancer

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Skin Cancer... Natural Skin Care with EPA Incredible though it sounds, fish oil containing eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA, appears to slow down the ageing process and help us to look younger by protecting the skin and inhibiting the chemical processes that take place when our skin is exposed to damage-inducing stimuli, like the sun for example. Evidence suggests that aside from all the other documented health benefits of EPA, it can make our skin more resistant to sunburn, improve skin elasticity and tone and helps to prevent saggy skin and wrinkles from forming. Most of us know that UV radiation from the sun is public enemy number one as far as the skin is concerned. Overexposure results in premature ageing and wrinkles as well as reduced immunity to disease, and possibly even skin cancer. When our skin is exposed to a lot of sunlight we produce abnormal elastin that causes the skin to stretch and collagen fibres begin to break down. In response to this we produce a large number of enzymes called metalloproteinases or MMPS. This would normally be a good thing as these enzymes try to repair the damage, but it is inefficient and over time, MMPS produced as a result of UV radiation actually results in a break down of collagen and finally wrinkles appear. A study published in 2005 in the Journal for Lipid Research investigated the effect that EPA had on MMPS arising as a result of ultra violet radiation from the sun in human skin and found that EPA inhibited overproduction of MMPS and reduced the amount of damage to the skin. The researchers Kim et al concluded that EPA could possibly prevent as well as treat skin ageing. Then more recently in 2006, Drs Black and Rhodes found that EPA offers protection against sun-induced damage to skin cells by making the skin more resistant to the sun's rays in the first...