Islanders urged to prioritize sun safety as skin cancer rates rise in Canada
Health P.E.I. says Maple can refer you for help if you have a mole and no family doctor
As Islanders prepare to soak up the sunshine this summer, experts say it's crucial to take sun protection seriously given the rising rates of skin cancer across Canada.
A new study from Melanoma Canada shows more than 11,000 Canadians were diagnosed with melanoma in 2024 — a 17 per cent increase over the previous year. An increasing number of those new cases appeared in young people.
Falyn Katz, CEO of Melanoma Canada, said men continue to be diagnosed more frequently than women. Of Canada;s 11,300 new skin cancer patients, 6,500 were men and 4,800 were women.
"We also need to be talking about the death rate, which is also on the rise. A lot of Canadians don't realize that skin cancer can be deadly — 1,300 deaths each year, so about three to four a day, and 850 out of those are men," Katz told CBC's Island Morning.
The study points to two major reasons behind the increase, one of which is a lack of sun safety practices, partly due to the spread of false information, Katz said.
"There's a lot of misinformation out there online on sunscreens not being safe or even causing cancer. They're totally untrue. All sunscreens in Canada are reviewed by Health Canada… so they are perfectly safe," she said.
She added that Canada's aging population is also contributing to the rising number of cases, since both melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers are more commonly diagnosed in older adults.
Support available on P.E.I.
Health P.E.I. told CBC News that Islanders without a family doctor who are concerned about possible skin cancer, such as a suspicious mole, can reach out for advice through the virtual health-care service Maple.
Those already registered on the P.E.I. patient registry can use Maple for free. The service lets them consult a health-care professional who can refer them to a local clinic for in-person assessment.
How to protect your skin from the sun
Katz said using sunscreen is an important first step in protecting your skin, but the wide variety of products can make it hard to know which one to choose.
She recommends choosing broad-spectrum sunscreens with an SPF of 30 or higher — ideally 50 or higher — to protect your skin from both UVA rays (which cause the skin to look older) and UVB rays (which cause burns).
"There are chemical and mineral sunscreens available. Check out the ingredients and pick the one that's best for you. Ideally, apply it 20 to 30 minutes before you're going outside in the sun," Katz said.
"And [it's] really important to make sure you're reapplying every two hours or more often, if you're swimming or sweating."
For those who can't or don't want to wear sunscreen, Katz said covering up is essential.
That includes wearing sun-protective clothing with a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) rating, or at least using tightly woven fabrics, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
She also recommends avoiding peak UV hours — usually from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. — and checking the daily UV index on a weather app or website. This week, P.E.I. had several days where the index reached 6 or 7, which is in the range of high to extremely high.
Start sun safety young
Katz said it's important for parents and schools to teach sun safety early in life, especially given the lasting impact of sunburns in childhood.
"One to two blistering sunburns in your youth can double your chances of being diagnosed with melanoma later in life. So it's really important that we establish sun safety behaviours early," she said.
That message is echoed by the Canadian Cancer Society.
Elizabeth Holmes, director of health policy at the society, said the organization's SunSense program is designed to promote healthy sun habits in children.
"It's... working with daycares and in schools to really instill those sun safety behaviours and best practices at an early age, and really creating the support within the school as well as... that individual learning and making it part of your routine," Holmes said.
Know the signs, catch it early
Holmes said early detection of melanoma greatly improves the chances of treatment being successful, so that the cancer doesn't spread.
She said health professionals are trained to look for signs using the ABCDE method. That stands for Asymmetry, Border irregularity, Colour, Diameter and Evolution.
People should have a mole checked out if it's asymmetrical rather than round, if the border looks irregular, if the mole changes colour over time, if it seems to be growing, or any other change, like starting to ooze or bleed.
"That's something you can keep an eye out for yourself, for your family, and then make sure that you get checked out by a health-care team."
With files from Island Morning