THE LIGA Portuguesa Contra o Cancro (LPCC), the Portuguese League Against Cancer and the Associação Portuguesa de Cancro Cutâneo (APCC), Portuguese Skin Cancer Association, have launched a summer campaign alerting people to the dangers of excessive sunbathing.
A ‘campaign’ bus will tour the country’s beaches throughout August to inform bathers about healthy tanning as well as the dangers of skin cancer. The objective is to reverse the rise in skin cancer, currently standing at 800 new cases every year, 300 of which are fatal. Manuela Rilvas, president of the LPCC, says greater public awareness is vital: “If people make a friend of the sun they can avoid not only problems associated with sunburn but also worse illnesses,” she says. Dermatologist António Picoto, president of the APCC, revealed that too many sun worshippers are still ignoring the risks. “We have witnessed an increase in incidences but also a reduction in the age of the onset of the illness. This used to be an illness confined to older people, mainly people over 60. But nowadays we have more and more cases of young victims aged 20 or 30.”
Bathers should note that their choice of sun cream must correspond to their skin type. Obviously, those with a fairer complexion should exercise more care to avoid burning. Sunbathers are advised to apply sun cream at least twice in two hours and immediately after swimming.
