Each year, approximately 4,500 people are affected by malignant melanoma in Sweden, and another approximately 4,000 are affected by preliminary stages of the disease. The biggest risk factor is ultraviolet radiation, mainly from the sun. Despite this, we Swedes are bad at protecting ourselves – and at seeking care in time. According to Dr. Robel Malki, many people wait too long to check their birthmarks, even though they suspect something is wrong.
– There is a risk of spread and then it can be very dangerous. Unlike other forms of cancer, it takes a little longer for this to spread, but it is still important to seek treatment in time, he says.
How to check birthmarks
Doctors use a method when checking birthmarks called the “A, B, C, D, E rule” – a method that can also be used with advantage by private individuals. Then you look at asymmetry, the edges, the color, diameter and the development of the above-mentioned points, explains Malki.
– Often harmless birthmarks are uniform in color, but the dangerous ones have either a darker or varied color. Sometimes they can be red, blue or even white. And if it is larger than six millimeters, you should be a little suspicious and seek medical attention. You should also seek care if you notice changes on the birthmark, for example if it starts to itch or if you get a wound that won’t heal, he says.
This is how you protect yourself from the sun
According to Malki, there is a notion that you only have an increased risk of skin cancer if you burn yourself, but explains that it is about how you have been exposed to the sun throughout your life. To reduce the risk and protect oneself in the best way, it is therefore important to change one’s behaviour.
– The Swedish people have a specific behavior when it comes to the sun. We seek the sun as soon as possible, we idolize tanned skin, he says.
In addition to a change in behavior, it is important to use sun protection. But if you have already had malignant melanoma, it can be more complicated than smearing yourself with sunscreen.
– We know, for example, that antioxidants in food supplements can increase the risk of recurrence or the spread of malignant melanoma. But we also know that antioxidants are found in skin creams and in sunscreen and there is little research that it can have the same effect, so I think you should be a little careful with sunscreen.
The best protection from the sun for someone who already had the disease is therefore clothing.
– Especially with clothes, you have to remember that it should have a dense texture, such as a cotton shirt. Then you can reach a sun protection factor of 50. A t-shirt only has a sun protection factor of 10, he says.