Will Skin Cancers Like Hugh Jackman’s Go Down During the COVID-19 Pandemic?

BCC is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. More than 4 million cases are diagnosed every year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Fortunately, though, most are curable if they are caught early and treated — as Jackman’s was. The “X-Men” actor regularly shares health updates with his fans — and urges them to be vigilant about skin cancer prevention.

With all the health questions and worries surrounding us right now, it’s uplifting to think that our time inside — difficult as it may be — could actually yield some positives.

How Does Sun Harm Skin?

We’ve all been told to wear sunscreen in the summer. We know we should slather some on at the beach or on a long hike to prevent burns — but many of us just don’t think about putting SPF on for a walk or run outside, especially in the cooler months. This is a big problem.

RELATED: Yes, You Still Have to Wear Sunscreen in Winter

1 in 5 adults in the U.S. will develop skin cancer before the age of 70, and more than 2 million people die from the disease every year, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. What’s more — a huge percentage of these cancers are from sun exposure. And UV rays can be harmful to skin at any time of year.

“The reality is, we can get sun damage at any time throughout the year, even in the cold wintry months,” Dr. Dendy Engelman, a dermatologist and Mohs surgeon, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation about skin safety. “If we’re unprotected for even 15 minutes a day, if we think about the cumulative effects that has on our skin over a lifetime, it’s very real. So, the more we can protect and have it be a daily habit … we don’t just brush our teeth the week we’re going to the dentist. We protect our teeth all the time, every day, twice a day. It’s the same concept with sunscreen — the more we do it, the more we’re protected.”

Dermatologist Dr. Dendy Engelman explains why it’s important to wear sunscreen all year-round. 

So, that means when you do venture outside during these quarantine months, it’s still important to protect your skin from harmful rays, even if you’re just out for a 20-minute walk.

Will Staying Inside Reduce My Risk?

To put it simply — any reduction is exposure to harmful rays will do your skin good. In addition to sunscreen, dermatologists also recommend things like wearing hats to protect your face, wearing clothing that limits sun exposure and limiting time outside when the sun is at its strongest.

RELATED: Use Sunscreen to Reduce Your Risk of Melanoma

So, yes, avoiding the sun will help reduce skin cancer risk. However, if you head to the beach the second social distancing guidelines are lifted and spend 8 hours in the sun with no sunscreen … you are, once again, putting yourself and your skin at risk.

Let’s take a look at how sunscreen reduces skin cancer risk.

In a previous interview, Dana-Farber Cancer Center Dermatologist Dr. Cecilia Larocca told SurvivorNet that despite skin cancer being incredibly prevalent in the United States, there are steps we can all take to modify our risk of developing the disease.

“When it comes to melanoma [the deadliest form of skin cancer], if you use sunscreen … there is a great study that came out of Australia that found that if patients used sunscreen consistently over a period of 10 years, they were actually able to reduce their risk for melanoma by 50%,” Dr. Larocca said.

Dr. Cecilia Larocca explains why limiting sun exposure plays such a significant role in melanoma prevention.

“That’s really empowering for patients to know,” she added. “That’s something that they can take charge of at home to really help reduce that risk going forward. … Even though we can’t take back our sun exposure history when we were younger, we can still modify that risk going forward.”

One important thing to note, however, is that not all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure. There are other factors that can cause a disease like melanoma. Still, 90% of melanomas are linked to the sun — so this time inside, and a resolution to wear sunscreen when you do go outside, can play a really significant role in reducing skin cancer risk.

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