Australia has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Anyone can be at risk of developing skin cancer, though the risk increases as you get older. The majority of skin cancers in Australia are caused by exposure to UV radiation in sunlight.
How do holes in the ozone layer affect the skin cancer rates in Australia?
In reality, ozone depletion has made no appreciable difference to skin cancer rates in Australia and New Zealand. The quantum of additional UV exposure was modest – and at a time of year when most skin was covered so as to stay warm. Happily, the Montreal Protocol has proven successful in facilitating ozone repair.
Is the ozone layer worse in Australia?
The ozone layer is depleted in two ways. Firstly, the ozone layer in the mid-latitude (e.g. over Australia) is thinned, leading to more UV radiation reaching the earth. Secondly, the ozone layer over the Antarctic, and to a lesser extent the Arctic, is dramatically thinned in spring, leading to an ‘ozone hole’.
Why does Australia have so much skin cancer hint it’s not because of an ozone hole?
Basically, through migration, our two countries have been populated by many people with fair skin whose ancestors come from much less sunny climates. Lack of protective pigmentation leaves skin cells especially vulnerable to the DNA-damaging rays from the sun.
What percentage of Australia has skin cancer?
At least 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70. The risk is higher in men than in women (70% vs. 58% cumulative risk of NMSC before age 70 1; 58.5 vs. 39.0 age-standardised incidence rate of melanoma2).
How common is skin cancer in Australia?
Skin cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia. About two in three Australians will be diagnosed with some form of skin cancer before the age of 70. Almost 980,000 new cases of BCC and SCC are treated each year. BCC can develop in young people, but it is more common in people over 40.
Why ozone layer is depleted in Australia?
The stratospheric ozone layer absorbs the biologically damaging wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) rays but in the 1970s, Australia’s ozone layer was severely thinned as a consequence of heavy use of ozone-depleting, substances such as chloroflurocarbons (CFCs) and hydro-chloroflurocarbons (HCFCs).
What happened to Australia’s ozone layer?
Why is Australia sun so strong?
Australia’s unusually harsh sunshine results mainly from its location in the Southern Hemisphere. The elliptical orbit of the Earth places the Southern Hemisphere closer to the sun during its summer months than the Northern Hemisphere during its summer.
Is skin cancer the most common cancer in Australia?
Is skin cancer increasing in Australia?
Skin cancer is a major cause of illness in Australia The age-standardised incidence rate of melanoma has increased from 27 cases per 100,000 in 1982 to 49 per 100,000 in 2016.
What is the most common skin cancer in Australia?
Non-melanoma skin cancers, now called keratinoctye cancers, are the most common cancers in Australia, however most are not life-threatening. There are two main types: basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). BCC accounts for about 70% of non-melanoma skin cancers.
