Ask the Cancer Expert
We are here to help. Our Canadian Cancer Society experts answer your personal questions about cancer - from prevention to treatment and recovery.
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Q: Keiko from Toronto asks: “ Can you share some advice for keeping my kids safe in the sun this summer?”
A: Nobody wants to stay inside when the sun’s shining. So when you’re outside, using a little SunSense can protect you and your family from getting too much sun.
Since children spend a lot more time outside than adults, they need to be protected from the sun’s rays. By teaching your child SunSense while they’re young, you'll be protecting them now and reducing their risk of developing skin cancer in the future.
How to protect your child
- Keep babies out of direct sunlight. Use clothing that covers their arms and legs and don’t forget a hat. Keep them protected in a covered stroller, under an umbrella or in the shade. This can also help prevent dehydration and sunstroke. If you can't avoid exposing your baby to the sun, it is okay to use a small amount of sunscreen – but avoiding direct sunlight is best.
- Try to keep toddlers and children out of the sun, between 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. when the rays are at their strongest, or any time of the day when the UV Index is 3 or more.
- Send your kids to school or play in protective clothing, such as a loose-fitting t-shirt and a wide-brimmed hat (which provides more protection than a baseball cap). Don’t forget about protecting their shoulders and necks as these can get easily burned.
- Provide shade in your play area. Trees or a large umbrella work well.
- Always apply sunscreen with an SPF 15 or higher to your kids at least 20 minutes before they go outside. Reapply often and don’t forget their nose, ears, cheeks and tops of their feet.
- If they’re playing in or near water, make sure the sunscreen is waterproof and reapply often. Also make sure they have dry clothing after playing in water as wet clothing can lose up to half of its UV protection.
- Don’t put sunscreen around your child’s eyes – it will probably sting. Try to get them to wear a hat. Or as soon as they can wear sunglasses, think about getting them a good quality pair of wraparound sunglasses (with UVA and UVB protection).
Learn more about being safe in the sun.
Q: Blake from Belleville wanted to know: “ I feel like I am getting mixed messages about Vitamin D. I have read that it helps prevent cancer but that too much sunlight can cause cancer. Can you help?”
A: Vitamin D is needed for healthy bones and muscles, especially in children and the elderly. There is growing evidence that vitamin D may reduce the risk of some types of cancer, particularly colorectal and breast cancers. Experts are now concerned that many people are not getting enough vitamin D.
You can get vitamin D from exposure to sunlight, in your diet (especially if you eat foods fortified with vitamin D), or by taking vitamin supplements.
A few minutes a day of unprotected sun exposure is usually all that is needed for some people to get enough vitamin D. You don’t need a tan to get benefits from the sun.
Due to our northern latitude and because the sun’s rays are weak in the fall and winter, we recommend that Canadian adults consider taking a vitamin D supplement. Talk to your doctor about taking 1000 international units (IU) a day during fall and winter months.
Learn more about the benefits of vitamin D.
Q: Michelle from London asked: “ Should I consider getting a ‘base tan’ at my local tanning salon before the summer to protect myself? ”
A: Indoors or outdoors, there’s no safe way to get a tan. Tanning beds and sun lamps release ultraviolet (UV) rays that start the tanning process in the skin – just like the sun. Tanned skin is damaged skin. And when the tan fades, the damage is still there.
When you expose your skin to UV rays – whether from the sun, tanning beds or sun lamps – you increase your chances of getting skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer.
It’s also one of the most preventable. To reduce your risk of getting skin cancer, don’t use tanning beds or sun lamps.
The World Health Organization upgraded the classification of UV-emitting devices, such as tanning beds, from a probable carcinogen to a known carcinogen. In other words, tanning beds are no longer something we think probably causes cancer – we know they cause cancer. And research done by the International Agency for Research on Cancer shows that being exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning equipment before the age of 35 increases your risk of melanoma (skin cancer).
Also, long-term exposure to UV rays causing sunburns from the sun’s rays, tanning beds or sun lamps, can put you at greater risk for non-melanoma or melanoma skin cancers.
Learn more about indoor tanning.
Our Cancer Experts
The Canadian Cancer Society’s team of Cancer Information Specialists come from a variety of healthcare backgrounds such as nursing, social work, medicine, diagnostics and research. As Cancer Information Specialists, they have extensive knowledge of cancer care delivery systems and issues, oncology principles and excellent communication skills. They answer questions from the public about specific cancer types, tests, treatments, prevention and supportive care as well as providing access to practical and emotional support and resources.
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