|
SYDNEY, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- A third of people living in the skin cancer capital of the world still do not know how it is caused, a new survey has found.
Cancer Council Australia in a statement on Monday said the National Sun Survey has found that people living in Queensland, Australia, dubbed the skin cancer capital of the world were still clueless on what caused skin cancer.
Its spokesperson Katie Clift said the survey found that 33 percent of adults did not realize that ultraviolet (UV) radiation was the only cause of sunburn which was the main producer of skin cancer.
While 18 percent mistakenly claimed temperature was a useful measure of sunburn risk, 15 percent thought cloud-cover, wind, or humidity could damage their skin while 4 percent could not say the reasons behind sunburns.
Clift said with the arrival of spring, Queenslanders needed to be vigilant when heading outdoors and should only go out once they have applied plenty of sun lotion on themselves.
"Exposure to UV radiation not only causes sunburn, but also premature ageing, damage to the eyes, and can lead to skin cancer later on in life," she said.
More than 3,600 Queenslanders are diagnosed with skin cancer each year, and it is estimated that over 350,000 non-melanoma skin cancers are treated.
"Most skin cancers can be prevented through simple sun protection measures," Clift said.
