With 64 deaths on average each year, Brittany is the French region most affected by skin cancer, mainly caused by too much exposure to the sun.
- Each year, 1,305 new cases of melanoma (cancer of the skin or mucous membranes) are diagnosed in Brittany.
- Unlike hot regions such as the South of France, where people tend to protect their skin more, dermatologist Marc Perrussel warns of the dangers of the Breton sun, the cause of the majority of skin cancers in the region.
- If Brittany is your summer destination, it is recommended to protect yourself as much as possible from the sun, not to expose yourself between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., and to protect children and adolescents in priority, whose skin is not yet armed. to fight against UV rays.
Each year, 1,305 new cases of melanoma (cancer of the skin or mucous membranes) are diagnosed in Brittany, nearly three times the national average.
UV rays are as intense in Brittany as in the South
These figures lead the dermatologist Marc Perrussel to warn of the dangers of the Breton sun, the cause of the majority of skin cancers. “If we are in Cannes, the sun will sting and we will protect ourselves immediately. This is not the case in Brittany”explains the specialist to the newspaper 20 minutes. In this region, “People aren’t going to have that warm feeling. They will therefore increase their exposure time and forget to protect themselves.. However, “UV rays are as intense in Brittany as in the South. Three childhood sunburns increase melanoma risk in adulthood by 30%recalls Marc Perrussel.
“It seems that in reality the exposure is as intense in the Atlantic as in the Mediterranean, but that it is masked by a less aggressive feeling due to the clouds and the wind, and that, as a result, we feel protects less”complete the League Against Cancer.
Avoid exposure to the sun between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m.
However, in Brittany, the population has phototypes (skin reactions to sun exposure) that are more prone to developing melanoma, ie skin and eyes that are often clear.
If Brittany is your summer destination, it is recommended to avoid exposure to the sun between 12 p.m. high protection sunscreen (index 50) and reapply it every hour. Similarly, pgive priority to protecting children and adolescents, who are the most vulnerable. “Until puberty, their skin is not equipped to defend itself against UV rays. This is why sunburn and repeated exposure before the age of 15 are a major cause of the development of melanomas in adulthood.recalls the League against cancer.
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