Schools urged to hold sports day out of the hot sun

Schools are being urged to lead by example and not organise sports days during the hottest hours of the day.

Lawrence Scerri, head of the dermatology department, pointed out that a good number of schools still organise annual sports days in May usually coming to an end at around 1 p.m., which means children are exposed to the sun's harmful rays.

"They should lead by example and either organise it indoors, later during the day or earlier in the year," he said during a press conference to launch the annual Euro-Melanoma Skin Cancer Campaign.

As they do every year once the mercury starts inching up, the health authorities have teamed up to pass on their annual message - stay out of the sun and cover up.

Statistics show that 68 people succumbed to melanoma between 1996 and 2003, while 336 new cases of the potentially deadly disease surfaced between 1996 and 2005.

Melanoma is fatal in some 20 per cent of cases. The prognosis depends a lot on the thickness of the lesion, making early detection of utmost importance, consultant dermatologist Michael Boffa said.

"Prompt action is essential whenever melanoma is suspected," he said.

But although the figures show a rise in the rate of melanoma over the past years, the good news is that the survival rate has also gone up - from 74 per cent between 1993 and 1997 to 92 per cent in the following five years.

This, Dr Scerri said, compared favourably with other European countries, adding that the thinner the lesion, the better the chances of survival.

What is worrying is that the past decades have seen an increase in the incidence of melanoma, which has also happened in other countries with a predominantly white population.

Melanoma develops decades after sun damage has taken place, Dr Scerri said.

Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and may develop anywhere on the skin, and in a pre-existing mole in up to half the cases. The highest risk factor is sun exposure, especially episodes of sunburn.

There is also a strong link between sunburn in childhood and melanoma. Moreover, fair and freckly skin, numerous moles and a family history of melanoma pushes up the chances of developing the skin cancer.

Although the sun is the main culprit, Health Promotion and Disease Prevention department head Charmaine Gauci also warned against the use of sunbeds whose ultraviolet rays can also cause melanoma.

People, she warned, should not allow sunscreen to give them a false sense of security, with the emphasis being on avoiding sun exposure as much as possible. For the ninth consecutive year, the Dermatology Department is organising a Melanoma Skin Cancer Screening Clinic on May 5. Appointments for people with suspicious moles can be made by calling 22987105 or 2298 7153.