Skin cancer's friend - the solarium

Dr Raimonds Karls, assistant and dermatologist of the Department of Infectology and Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, RSU, explores the causes of the skin cancer that is the most common form of cancer in Latvia. To lower the risk of skin cancer he strongly advises to avoid sunbeds for tanning. Figures show that skin cancer has been the most common form of cancer in Latvia in the past years. “Though we are fair-skinned, this disease is still quite common here”, says Dr Karls.

Latvia’s inhabitants spend too much time sunbathing and use sunbeds way too often. The effects of exposure to UV radiation accumulate over a lifetime and result in unpleasant consequences – skin cancer.

Skin cancer is well treatable with early detection and Latvia offers many opportunities for detection. According to Dr Karls, late skin cancer diagnosis results in unpleasant consequences. “It is a hard fact of life that certain things go beyond our control, however, many things can still be prevented. We can reduce the risk of skin cancer as it is associated with exposure to UV radiation,” he adds.

We cannot completely protect ourselves from the sun, however, we can avoid additional UV radiation in a sunbed. “So the logical question arises: why shouldn’t we do that to live a wholesome and problem-free life?” Mr Raimonds Karls asks rhetorically by reminding us again of the harmful effects of getting a tan on a sunbed.

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