NEWS photo Mike Wakefield

KEVIN WAKEFIELD, 85, applies effudex to a spot on his forearm
with pre-cancerous keratosis, patches of dead skin which may
develop into cancer uniess treated. On Aug. 10 and 17, from 10
am, to 3 p.m., dermatologists will staff a free public skin
cancer screening clinic at Ambleside beach.

Sunday, July 28, 1991 - North Shore News ~ 29

RE ERLE TE SB aS eis haa EYES

KEVIN WAKEFIELD still enjoys the sun, but like an in-
creasing number of Canadians he is choosing the shade to
protect himself from the sun’s harmful rays.

Wakefield, an 85-year-old
retired communications engineer,
has had three or four patches of
skin cancer since he discovered his
first lesion 25 years ago.

“I've spent my whoic life pretty
well in the sun,”’ says Wakefield.
‘“Now, of course, I’m very careful
not to get in the sun, although I
love it.”

According to Canadian Der-
matology Association (CDA)
estimates, 526 people in B.C. this
year will develop melanoma, the
most serious type of skin cancer,
and 70 will die from it.

As part of CDA’s skin cancer
awareness campaign, B.C. der-
matologists are holding free skin
cancer screening clinics at focal
beaches throughout the summer.

North Vancouver dermatologist
Dr. H.W. Buck will help staff two
clinics at Ambleside Park beach to
be held Aug. 10 and Aug. !7 from
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Buck says the goal of the cam-
paign is to make people aware of
the risk of excess sun exposure.

Although people should not be
paranoid about exposure to the
sun, Buck said they should ap-
proach the sun with ‘‘reason-
ableness,’’ by taking precautions.

Wakefield is quick to say he did
not approach the sun with any
degree of moderation.

As an engineer, he spent most
of his working life in hot, sunny
places. He has been stationed in
Egypt, Sudan, the Wesz Indies,
and Brazil, where he lived after
his retirement until he moved to
West Vancouver 20 years ago.

Wakefield says sunstroke — not
skin cancer — had always been his
primary concern after long periods
of exposure to the sun.

**We never thought anything of
it,” he says.

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By Elizabeth Collings
News Reporter

But since his retirement, he has
found three or four irregular pat-
ches of skin on his body which
turned out to be basal cell, the
most common and least dangerous
form of skin cancer.

“It’s the kind of thing that
people should be warned about,
but I'd hate to scare people off
because [ love the sun,” says
Wakefield.

In fact, Buck said that although
it’s difficult to prove sun causes
the more dangerous melanoma
skin cancer, evidence suggests that
tepeated sunburns, as opposed to
gentle exposure, may be a con-
tributing factor.

However, the effects of the sun
can also be cumulative, he said,
adding that basal cell carcinoma is
more prevalent among older age
groups.

“It seems the skin does not
forget. You don't start at zero
every year,’’ he says.

Buck advises that people take
precautions by avoiding the sun
between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when
the ultraviolet rays are more in-
tense, and by weariny protective
clothing, especially hats because
basal cell is frequently found on
the scalp and face areas. As well,
people should wear sunscreen with
a sun protection factor (SPF) of
15 or greater.

RESP EE EE

cer clinics to scan sunbathers

People with lighter skin or with
freckles have less protection from
the sun, he said.

Buck emphasized that this
year’s campaign hopes to make
the younger generation aware of
excess sun exposure, not only
because of the dangers of skin
cancer, but because ultraviolet
rays also age skin.

“it accelerates the changes we
associate withe aging — the blot-
chy discoloration, the increase of
wrinkles, loss of tone of the skin
and roughness of the skin.”

Feople should also take 2 more
active part in examining
themselves for skin cancer, he
said.

The signs of skin cancer in-
clude:
echanges in the color of a mole,
most often to black. but some-
times to red or white;

* changes in the outline of the
mole so that the pigment spreads
outside the lesion to the surroun-
ding skin;
* moles
tender.

“Any change means something
significant is happening and
should be examined,’’ Buck said,
adding that these changes are con-
sidered significant if they occur
within six months.

that become itchy or

At the skin cancer screening
clinics, people may be examined
by a doctor if they want. A form
noting any suspicious lesions will
be provided so that people can
then discuss it with their family
physician.

Z LEVOLOR
The Affordidie Lukury