These days skin cancer is the main reason patients arrive at the dermatologist’s office, according to Kari Saarinen, a dermatologist at Päijät-Häme central hospital.
”When I started out in the mid-1980s I might have seen one skin cancer patient a week. Now I'll have one patient a day who doesn’t have skin cancer,” he said.
The effects of reckless sunbathing and tanning bed use are starting show as sun worshippers age.
”We’re seeing more and more skin cancer, especially the malignant kind,” he added.
Saarinen says young people travel the world for months without giving any thought to sun protection. Solarium use is also on the rise despite campaigns warning of the risks of UV exposure.
Distinguishing a regular mole from a cancerous skin growth can be difficult.
”A pimple that grows and grows and doesn’t disappear like a regular zit can also be a sign of cancer, so it’s always a good idea to show any suspicious growth to a doctor.”