Episode 59: Busting myths about skin cancer
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What is the focus of this episode on skin cancer myths?
Hello and welcome back to another episode of Taking Control of Cancer, the podcast brought to you by the North East London Cancer Alliance. I'm Steve Bland, and this episode is all about skin safety in the sun. Skin cancer busting all the myths and giving you all the information that you need to stay skin safe. It's a really important topic, isn't it? The number Of new melanoma skin cancer cases diagnosed in a year has just risen above 20,000 for the first time in the UK. That's according to Cancer Research UK. Here in North East London alone, there were 1,721 cases of skin cancer diagnosed last year, making it the most common cancer. And it's more important than ever that you understand what you can do to help.
Prevents it. It's a topic we've done before, and I'm joined once again by Dr. Tom McLeod, who's a clinical lead uh uh for the Skin Expert Reference Group here at the North East London Cancer Alliance. Also by Rosie O'Day, who's a project manager in diagnosis and treatment uh at the Alliance. Uh but we're also joined this time by Claire Milne, who is the health editor at Full Fact, uh the fact checkers. They're bringing us the expertise. in how we tackle misinformation, how we bust myths, make sure that what we're telling you is absolutely correct. So as I said, you know, excuse the references to a sunny, sunny day. We recorded it when it was extremely warm. Uh but uh let's have a lesson. Thank you all for joining me.
Um we did this episode last year, didn't we, Tom and Rosie, where we got into i into a bit of this. We and we said at at the time there's a load more we can go into, so we need to revisit. Um I know there was something at the end of the summer, wasn't there, Rosie? You guys tried to launch a campaign and it absolutely poured down. Uh wasn't there a you took a Uh one of your mobile vans somewhere and it and it absolutely tipped it down.
Yeah, last year we had um an ice cream van that was repurposed as a sunscreen van um and we brought it to Victoria Park so that we could, you know, raise some awareness around how to protect your skin and stay safe in the sun as part of the London Get Sunset campaign. Um and it's funny, the day we chose it had been gorgeous weather all week. And it just we were drenched, but it was a really good reminder that actually you do need sunscreen, whatever the weather. Um, and then you know, towards the afternoon it got really, really sunny and you know, we had conversations all day long with kind of residents in northeast London. It was a really good and valuable day to learn more about people's thoughts, opinions and beliefs around sun safety and SPF as well.
So it was it was a good day.
Yeah, sounds uh uh sounds like a really good day. I mean we get plenty of rainy days. I'm putt I'm up in the north of England, so like a rainy day. You couldn't choose a sunny day uh up here. Although this weekend we're recording this on the twenty first of May, and I think we're about to get a really nice little sunny week, aren't we? Ahead of us. So this is really good timing. Um last year in Northeast London alone, there were 1,721 cases of skin cancer diagnosed, making it the most uh common cancer. Um and we hear all the time, don't we, Tom? Loads of advice about um uh sunshine tanning, sun cream, social media, celebrities. Uh there's a piece in The Guardian uh last week uh highlighting growing concerns around the rise of extreme tanning.
Um feels like there probably hasn't been a more appropriate time to do something like this and that uh uh maybe not a more dangerous time for young people In terms of the messaging and the information they're getting or not getting.
Yeah, it's um it's tricky because there's lots of messages out there, you know. Um there's lots of benefits to being outside and in the sun. Um and also, let's call a spade a spade. People like looking tanned. You know, it's a a tale as old as time and uh and uh uh share with you a a quick anecdote. I was watching the Champions League semi-final the other day and um This bronze beauty just leapt from the the screen, and I turned to my partner and I said, Wow, this guy looks incredible.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the focus of this episode on skin cancer myths?
0:11–8:10
2
How does misinformation about sun safety spread on social media?
8:10–15:19
3
What are the differences between mineral and chemical sunscreens?
15:19–22:36
4
Is there any scientific basis for a “base tan” protecting against UV?
22:36–30:46
5
How effective are high‑SPF sunscreens and how should they be applied?
30:46–36:51
6
What are the risks and myths surrounding sunbeds?
36:51–44:31
7
How important is sun protection for children and how can parents apply sunscreen?
44:31–52:13
8
What are the top three take‑aways for protecting skin this summer?
52:13–1:01:04
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Taking Control of Cancer
Episode 65: Moving forward together - using exercise to transform life with and beyond cancer
Episode 64: Breaking cancer news - July 2026
Episode 63: Taking control through prehabilitation
Episode 62: Breaking cancer news - June 2026
Episode 61: Checking your prostate cancer risk
Episode 60: Starting the cancer conversation