Skin Cancer Prevention across the G7, Australia and New Zealand: A Review of Legislation and Guidelines

Abstract

Incidence rates of melanoma and keratinocyte skin cancers have been on the rise globally in recent decades. While there has been a select focus on personal sun protection awareness, to our knowledge, there is a paucity of legislation in place to help support citizens’ efforts to protect themselves from the harmful effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Given this, we conducted a comprehensive review of legislation and guidelines pertaining to a variety of sun protection-related topics in countries of the Group of Seven (G7), Australia and New Zealand. Australia was the only country to have banned tanning beds for individuals of all ages, while other select countries have instituted bans for minors. In workplace policy, there is very little recognition of the danger of occupational UVR exposure in outdoor workers, and thus very few protective measures are in place. With regard to sports and recreation, certain dermatological/professional associations have put forward recommendations, but no legislation was brought forward by government bodies outside of Australia and New Zealand. With regard to youth, while there are various guidelines and frameworks in place across several countries, adherence remains difficult in the absence of concrete legislation and standardization of procedures. Finally, only Australia and a few select jurisdictions in the United States have implemented sales tax exemptions for sunscreen products. In light of our findings, we have made several recommendations, which we anticipate will help reduce the rates of melanoma and keratinocyte cancers in years to come. However, minimizing UVR exposure is not without risk, and we, therefore, suggest the promotion of vitamin D supplementation in conjunction with sun protective practices to limit potential harm.

Global Tanning Bed Advertising: A Comparison of Legal Regulations on Three Continents

“…To date, only three countries (Brazil, Iran, Australia) have completely banned commercial indoor tanning, thereby eliminating any basis for advertising. Several international comparisons have already been conducted on legal regulations for commercial indoor tanning and customers' compliance with these regulations [27][28][29][38][39][40][41]. However, none of these studies have examined tanning bed advertising and information requirements which have been the focus of our investigation.…”

Understanding the Perceived Relationship between Sun Exposure and Melanoma in Atlantic Canada: A Consensual Qualitative Study Highlighting a “Sunscreen Paradox”

“…For the low-incidence group, it may be valuable to center efforts on educating the public on UV exposure risks in the absence of direct sunlight. Beyond individual behaviors, policy changes are needed to encourage the provision of public shade through government subsidies, employer-sponsored sunscreen/clothing and personal protective equipment, and removing tax from sun-protective items, making them more affordable to the public and particularly for outdoor workers [10]. The development of skin cancer prevention and screening guidelines could serve as an essential measure in primary care.…”

“…Within the Canadian population, several sociodemographic variables have been associated with sun exposure rates and subsequent CM development, including geographic latitude, climate, vegetation, genetic predisposition, Fitzpatrick skin phototype, socioeconomic status, occupation, and behavioral habits [7,[10][11][12]. Indeed, extensive evidence reveals that CM is largely preventable with the use of sun protection measures [13][14][15], such as the use of sunscreen and sun-protective clothing as well as avoidance of intense sun, sun tanning and sunburns.…”

Role of cell block immunohistochemistry in early diagnosis of lymphoma.

“…B-cell cancers are most common, with a 4% incidence of cancer cases each year globally 4 . Being prevalent in developed countries like USA, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, the diagnostic procedure is also being practiced in developing countries 5 . USA alone accounts for 70,000 new cases per year, which comprises about 6% of all cancers in the particular country 6 .…”