Early in the 1980s, North Australian Health Department statistics showed a remarkable and disturbing fact. More young men, under the age of 25, were dying from skin cancer than were being killed in road accidents. What was happening?

Deeper analysis showed that those casualties were locals. They had been born in the tropics. People who came to Northern Australia in their teens or later, were not as susceptible, and did not have a high death rate.

Skin cancer was known to be related to exposure to solar radiation. Indeed, the Anti-Cancer Council had commenced a campaign to encourage people to wear shirts while working and playing, to wear a broad brimmed hat, and to use suncream. Why were young local men dying at a greater rate than anyone else?

The answer lay in their childhood. Skin cancer is formed through exposure to UV(b) light before the age of 11 years. During this time, the skin is softer and less mature. It contains less melanin. UV light penetrates it to a deeper level. UV light attacks the immune system of young children making them more susceptible to develop skin cancer.

To add to the problem, skin cancer lies hidden within the skin for many years. It is rare for children to present with skin cancer, but it does happen.

To understand the problem further, it is necessary to know something about UV light. It is of the right frequency to disturb electrons within atoms as it passes through substances. It can affect proteins within skin cells that regulate cell growth. The slight changes to cell DNA remain dormant for years. Usually skin cancer is held in check by the body’s immune system, and presents itself in middle or mature age. If these UV rays have damaged the immune system the onset of skin cancer occurs sooner – during teenage years, or in the early twenties.