Within the framework of World Skin Cancer Day, Official Colleges of Pharmacists (COF) from different parts of Spain have reported on a series of initiatives that they are implementing in favor of awareness and prevention of this oncological pathology. Thus, from the COF of Córdoba They have organized an information day with the aim of raising awareness among citizens
Cordobans about skin cancer.
During the event, various pharmacists informed the Cordoban population of the incidence and characteristics of this type of tumor. Likewise, they have offered a decalogue of advice on good photoprotection from the sun, delivering informative diptychs and analyzing, through dermoanalyzers, the skin of the people who have come to the tent to check what skin phototype they have and what their appropriate photoprotector is.
Likewise, they have indicated the main recommendations about how photoprotectors should be applied, in addition to clarifying doubts about effective and safe sun exposure or about the labeling of photoprotective products, and explaining that some medications can cause interactions with solar radiation.
Pharmacists as allies
“All pharmaceutical professionals, from their various professional fields and competencies, can contribute to adequate advice and healthcare to citizens and patients with skin cancer,” highlighted the president of the COF of Córdoba, Rafael Casaño. In this case, he continues, “the figure of the community pharmacist takes on special relevance in the prevention and early detection of the pathology, given its proximity and accessibility to pharmacies, offering rigorous information and practical advice that are key to combating a type of cancer in epidemiological expansion”.
The member of Dermopharmacy of the Cordoba pharmaceutical college, Elena Grande, has indicated that “the main risk factor for skin cancer is related to ultraviolet radiation and, for the most part, from excessive sun exposure, which is why it is an avoidable factor about which the entire society must be aware.” . “If we protected our skin well, the diagnosis rate of this tumor would be greatly reduced and the survival rate would increase, also reducing the burden of patients on the health system,” he guarantees.
Prevention and photoprotection tips
For his part, the COF of Valladolid has recalled some essential advice on prevention of this pathology and photoprotection, as well as some warnings about the effects of pharmacology.
- There is indirect exposure, a percentage of solar radiation that comes from reflection from the ground (water, sand, asphalt and, especially, snow), which is why protection with hats or caps is not enough.
- Being in water does not mean that one is protected from the sun, and the presence of cloudiness in the sky is not synonymous with solar protection, since a non-negligible percentage of the total ultraviolet radiation passes through the clouds. On cloudy days, you also have to protect yourself.
- Photoprotective creams must be renewed from time to time depending on various factors (exercise, sweating, bathing in water, product characteristics, etc.).
- The harmful effect of solar radiation is not only instantaneous (sunburn) but cumulative, determining the formation of mutations in the genetic material that add up until cell viability is compromised.
- Extreme caution should be taken in the parts of the body most sensitive to the sun: face, neck, head, shoulders, neckline, ears, hands and insteps. Lip protection can be done with photoprotective pencils or sticks and hair protection with specific products.
- The younger the individual, the better the ability to repair sun-induced DNA damage. But this capacity is lost over time, which together with cumulative sun exposure will determine the progressive appearance of premalignant and malignant lesions in the individual. Sun protection should be very effective in children (especially <6 months) and adolescents, since a history of sunburn at these ages implies a greater risk of developing malignant lesions in the future.
- It is advisable to be informed of the UV light index that occurs in a certain geographical area. It is a measure of the intensity of radiation on a scale of 1 to 11, so the higher the index, the higher the risk of sunburn, skin damage and, ultimately, death. skin cancer.
- Tanning lamps (including tanning beds) or the use of chemical tanners cannot be considered risk-free practices.
ABCDE rule for checking spots and moles
Valladolid pharmacists remember that, although melanoma is the tumor with the greatest increase in incidence in recent years, its associated mortality, which has also grown, has not done so in parallel with the incidence, “perhaps thanks to the progress in raising awareness about photoprotection and more effective early detection.” Likewise, remember that any suspicious mole that appears again, changes size, color or appearance should be monitored.
“The moles with the greatest capacity to become malignant are those atypical or dysplastic that present variations in the criteria that could be considered warning signs, such as: asymmetry, flat component (spot), irregular edges, color variations (including redness) or a size greater than six millimeters, they indicate.
Pharmacological optimization
Furthermore, the COF of Valladolid wanted to point out that some active ingredients increase sensitivity to UV radiation (photosensitizing drugs) and that they can cause very diverse lesions, from mild allergic reactions to permanent pigmentation and even large burns, on the skin of patients. patients who take them (either systemically or topically), despite even the use of sunscreens.
In such cases, exposure to solar radiation should be avoided to a greater extent and it may be advisable, whenever possible, to take medications at night, in order to reduce their skin concentration at times of maximum exposure.
The drugs photosensitizers They are sometimes identified by a warning pictogram on the packaging, which, although no longer mandatory, appears on many of them. These medications may contain, among others, active ingredients so commonly used and dispensed in pharmacy office like the following:
- Antidepressants: amitriptyline or citalopram.
- Antihypertensives: enalapril, losartan or valsartan (especially in combinations with hydrochlorothiazide).
- Antihistamines: cetiricin.
- Gastric antisecretors: omeprazole, pantoprazole or ranitidine.
- Diuretics: furosemide or torsemide.
- Lipid-lowering agents: simvastatin or fenofibrate.
- Psycholeptics: alprazolam or clorazepate potassium.
- Antipsoriatic and antiacneic retinoids: acitretin or isotretinoin.
Specifically speaking of patients with skin cancer, Valladolid pharmacists also emphasize some considerations, such as that after an initial or continuation dispensing, and especially in long-term treatments, a Adequate pharmacotherapeutic follow-up will mitigate the appearance of negative results and problems related to medication..
A campaign that affects the little ones
From the COF of Álava They have started a campaign in which they focus on the need for the child population to take extreme photoprotection. It has been proven that Between 50 and 80 percent of the sun exposure that an individual receives throughout life occurs between the ages of 18 and 21.. Furthermore, minors engage in much more outdoor activity than adults.
Likewise, they emphasize that it is important to explain the risks of using the tanning booths (especially among women) and propose alternatives such as self tanners, since in this period “being dark” is synonymous with beauty and health. Pharmacies also provide specific advice to offer sunscreens with attractive cosmetics (feel, color, ease of application) and suitable for your skin type.
The feeding It also influences photoprotection and in adolescents it is common for there to be an inadequate intake of fruits, vegetables and fish, leading to a deficiency of certain vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Therefore, it is important to insist on the importance of a varied and balanced diet with the recommended caloric intake, which will be the best guarantee for the correct intake of the recommended nutrients.