Skin cancers are three times more frequent in Brittany than in the PACA region. In question: the ideas received on the exhibition which lead the Bretons to protect themselves less.
Bretons are severely disadvantaged in the face of melanoma and other skin cancers. Tumors are much more frequent in this region than in Provence-Alpes-Côte-d’Azur (PACA) according to a study carried out by the National Syndicate of Dermato-venereologists (SNDV) and the Syndicate of French Pathologists (SMPF). Among men, they are even three times more numerous, reveals this comparison carried out on the occasion of the National Day prevention and screening of skin cancer.
Such an intense exposure
Along the Côte d’Azur, 585 cases of melanoma were diagnosed in 2014. In the Brittany region, 1,305 cancers of the same type were identified. A real gulf separates the two provinces. It is partly explained by the lighter phototype of the inhabitants of the peninsula in the west of the country. But for the SNDV, these results above all underline that sun exposure is as intense on the shores of the Atlantic as on those of the Mediterranean. This sunshine is the subject of a “less aggressive feeling due to the clouds and the wind”. In short, the Bretons have a whiter skin and protect themselves less from the light rays than on the shores of the Mediterranean.
Melanomas are not the only skin cancers to be seen in greater numbers in the striped flag region. Carcinomas are also more common.
Source : SNDV / SMPF
Detect early
Skin cancers can be avoided with preventive measures, recalls the dermatologists’ union. Limiting your exposure to ultraviolet rays is at the top of the recommendations, as is the use of sunscreens. The use of artificial UV rays is strongly discouraged.
On the occasion of prevention and screening day, the SNDV insists on the importance of early screening and opens free and anonymous consultations throughout the day. Because detected early, skin cancer can be adequately managed. As proof: 10 years after diagnosis, 80% of patients are still alive.
More than 100 cancers detected in 2015
The “Mélanoma Day” campaign identified around 100 skin cancers in 2015. The SNDV mobilized 215 centers in France. Thanks to the anonymous and free consultations, 17 melanomas were detected by health professionals, as were 97 basal cell carcinomas and 5 squamous cell carcinomas. Suspicious lesions are on the rise: for each carrier, 2.19 were counted against 2.05 the previous year. The centers where free screening is available can be consulted on the dermatos.fr site, by calling the toll-free number 0 806 80 2016 or on the SoleilRisk application.
.
