McBush And Skin Cancer

Posted on 07/28/2008 at 4:12 pm by Bob Cesca

Senator McCain had another mole on his face scraped away. Yummy. Anyway, his advice was this:

Stay out of the sun as much as possible.

As an outdoorsy type, I’m constantly at odds about this. First, I thought the Sun was basically responsible for life as we know it. Second, don’t we need sunlight in order to maintain normal vitamin-D and calcium levels — and, if you’re younger, to prevent rickets? Also, aren’t sunscreens loaded with chemicals that rapidly absorb into our skin? And finally, isn’t it just sunburn that causes melanoma, rather than normal exposure? I also read that too much processed vegetable oils (omega-6 fatty acids) and not enough fish oil (omega-3 fatty acids) have increased our risk of skin cancer. Any experts in the house?

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  • Nanotyrannus

    I’m waiting patiently for my punishment, having spent my fair-skinned childhood at the beach. I’d read recently, though, that we should all get a half hour or so exposure to the sun a week – sans sunblock. Supposedly vitamin D deficiency has been linked to colon cancer, which is deadly, versus the lower probability of skin cancer which is supposed to be much more treatable.

  • FrictionSoul

    I’m not an expert, but I’ve been outside my entire adult life. I should have it but I don’t.I keep hydrated. I drink a TON of water when I’m outside. I’m ridiculed for the TON of water I bring on hikes. I always use a lubricating lotion, and never a sunblock. Sunblocks are just plain wrong when you think about it. You want to keep your skin moist, not to keep sunrays blocked.Try this if you eye problems. Sit outside and make infinity loops while looking at the sun with you eyes closed. It works.

  • http://obamaproject.windonwater.net QueenTiye

    Not an expert, and I have an unfair advantage with brown skin, but the advice to avoid the sun is a good one – because of ozone layer depletion. More harmful rays are coming through than before. The word is that even we brown-skinned types are at higher risk both of sunburn and melanoma because of ozone depletion – so sunscreen is still in order.Since you’re a cyclist – sunscreen is definitely necessary – and milk. Good old fashioned milk has vitamin D, as does cod liver oil if you can stand the taste of it.QT

  • Bob_Cesca

    Friction…I think you’re right about the moisture (not about the eyes — sorry!). During the Summer, I ride my bike for roughly 6 to 10 hours per week so I have a wicked trucker tan, but I try to use some kind of aloe moisturizer afterwards instead of sunscreen during. Plus, I take “Triple Strength” Omega-3 fish oil tablets from GNC every day.Nevertheless, I’ve had wicked sunburn twice in my life. John Candy from SUMMER RENTAL wicked. Not from cycling, but from falling asleep in the sun when I was in my late teens, early 20s. Naturally, like Nano, these two instances will come back to get me one day.

  • Bob_Cesca

    Thanks, Queen!

  • cynicalgirl

    Vitamin D prevents many types of cancers.I would encourage people to use sunscreen instead of staying out of the sun. It’s probably better to be outside getting some exercise than sitting inside being a couch potato.

  • natashacrk

    Sunscreen is loaded with chemicals that causes major changes in your DNA–I won’t put it on my kids at all-since it goes directly to their bloodstream. I like your info Bob, and happen to agree with it.

  • bajasteve

    Well, I’m not an oncologist, but I see one frequently, and he says that I should not overexpose my skin to the sun. I use sunblock if I’m going to be out for an extended length of time, but not just to go out and about.Of course, folks like me, who have/had one type of cancer are much more susceptible to skin cancer.Lastly, don’t buy into the mistaken belief that skin cancer is “less dangerous”. Certain types are almost benign in nature, but melanoma – John McCain’s cancer of choice – is extremely dangerous and can be very deadly.

  • Suppy Manula

    From what I have read, the key is moderation. Boring, I know. Some sun is very good for you, but enough sun to turn your skin pink/red is bad. So for pale people 10-15 minutes a day, every day, is good (though time of day and latitude play a role in those numbers). And safe sun time goes up the darker your skin is. But I think overall avoidance is actually better than sunscreens. There’s good evidence that sunscreen use has no effect on melanoma rates, and may in fact increase melanoma rates by giving people a false sense of safety. They stay out and absorb too many UV rays because they think they’re not burning, when in fact the lower layers of their skin are cooking… Yum.