Paradoxically, the French are aware of the risk of developing skin cancer in the event of exposure to the sun, but few adopt the right prevention reflexes.
The sun is seen as beneficial, a source of energy and well-being, but it is not without danger. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation, natural or artificial, is a major risk factor for the development of skin cancer. In France, more than 10,000 cases of melanoma are recorded per year. A number of cases which has been rising steadily for several years despite prevention and free screening campaigns.
23 countries, 20,000 people
To find out the attitudes of the world’s population towards the sun and their knowledge of prevention, the Ipsos polling institute interviewed on behalf of La Roche-Posay nearly 20,000 people in 23 countries. 88% of respondents are aware of the risks, but more than 50% have never had their moles examined by a dermatologist. Yet melanoma is a cancer “visible to the naked eye” and is cured 90% of the time when diagnosed on time.
“Melanoma is the most serious skin cancer. On the other hand, if it is diagnosed and treated early enough, it is almost always curable, explains Dr Luc Sulimovic, dermatologist, president of the National Union of Venereological Dermatologists. It is therefore all the more important to examine yourself regularly to determine if you have moles that are changing or growing in size, or to check the appearance of any other marks on the skin. The fight against skin cancer begins at home, and the more people examine their skin and that of those close to them, the more likely they are to see a dermatologist and the sooner we will be able to act to see results. “
Screening by a dermatologist
In France, it seems that received ideas about the sun are less present than elsewhere. Indeed, the survey shows that 13% of French people think it is safe to expose themselves if you are already tanned against 21% of the world population.
More than half of consumers in France think that the protection index 50 of sunscreens only concerns people at risk (white skin, high number of moles) against 66% in the world. In addition, 98% of French parents apply sun protection to children under 12 years old.
However, the French are “lagging behind in adopting good prevention and screening reflexes. “Indeed, 95% of them know that exposing themselves to the sun without protection is dangerous, but only 1 in 10 French people say they protect themselves all year round. In addition, only 12% of the population have their moles checked at least once a year, and almost 4 in 10 have never visited a dermatologist. And nearly a third of the French have never examined their own moles.
However, for 17 years, in May, the National Union of Dermatologists-Venereologists has been organizing the National Day for the Prevention and Screening of Skin Cancer. It is based on the volunteering and volunteering of hundreds of dermatologists who provide anonymous and free screening consultations throughout France. Next meeting, Thursday, May 28.
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