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American Morning
Dermatologist Combs Beaches
Aired July 02, 2002 - 08:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: For many, the July Fourth holiday will be a very long weekend indeed, a time to get out into the sun and have some fun. But doctors want sun lovers to be very cautious about overexposure. Too much sun, obviously, can cause melanoma. That is, in fact, the fastest growing form of cancer today, and it can be deadly. In fact, in most cases, it is.
Dr. Sanjay Gupta joins us from the CNN center now of the story of the skin cancer crusader. I love this guy.
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. He has become a local institution, no question, in Long Island. And for good reason: 9,600 melanoma deaths a year -- that's one an hour. Its easy to get frustrated as a doctor, but not for Dr. Daly. He's actually taking his message -- hes actually making his own house call, if you will, Paula. Hes taking it straight to the beaches.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: So what is it that you're doing here at the beach?
DR. TED DALY, DERMATOLOGIST: Well, other than enjoying the day, I'm out here, really, to try to increase consciousness of people that melanoma keeps going up 4 to 5 percent every year. And melanoma is a killer skin cancer. In 2010, its going to be 1 in 50 people, and you know, its now 1 in 68. I mean, it just keeps going up and up.
And its a problem because if you dont get it early, you have a good chance of dying. I see 50-year-old patients come in and say, Im never in the sun. And I say, Youve been in the sun for 50 years, you know? And then they understand a bit.
But you need to continue to protect, you need to use a hat, use a shirt, use sunscreen, stay in the shade, stay out 10:00 to 2:00.
GUPTA: You know, everyone knows those messages, and they even -- weve been airing them forever, as well. Why are people still out here not protected?
DALY: I think that, you know, its a nuisance to put on. People still want a tan. They think that it is, you know, shows affluence or a leisurely lifestyle. Only about 20 percent of the time do kids get enough sunscreen. And you're supposed to put it on every two hours or so. And that's when they get most of their sun, is when theyre kids. You get 80 percent before you're 18.
Boy, you look red already.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I put sunscreen on, though.
DALY: Yes. You put it on before you come? ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is from the other day.
DALY: It is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
DALY: Thats all right. You're supposed to put it on every couple of hours, for what that's worth. Its cumulative. And as it adds up, then you have more sun damage. Then youre at higher risk for getting skin cancers, particularly as you get older.
Ive had people ask me, aren't you reducing patients coming in by going out and giving out sunscreen? And I would rather reduce melanomas and have other skin conditions that there is plenty of, because if we can save lives, that's the more valuable thing in life.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GUPTA: And he's been doing this for nine years now, Paula. He's actually going to the beach all the time and getting a lot of patients, no question. But taking that message straight to the beaches -- it was quite a heartening story, actually, because as Ive mentioned, doctors do get frustrated by these very preventative deaths.
ZAHN: You know, its interesting how other countries have dealt with it. In Australia, for example, teachers actually apply sunscreen repeatedly throughout the day, and there is a lot of discussion in camps here in the United States about whether people should be licensed to allow, you know, counselors to reapply sunscreen when parents aren't around. I actually -- I dont know about you, Sanjay. I actually would support that idea.
GUPTA: I think it is a good idea. I mean, these are completely preventable deaths, and melanoma is -- the numbers just keep going up: one death an hour. That number just astounded me.
And in Australia, as you mentioned, Paula, they're also doing things, theyre actually fining people from being outside without sunscreen or being outside without some sort of protective clothing.
As Dr. Daly mentioned, you're getting sun all the time, not just when you go to the beach. Even when you're outside, even when its not a sunny day, you need to be putting sunscreen on. And its a cumulative effect. A lot of these elderly people, people who have been outside all their lives may never have been beachgoers, but are getting the cumulative effects of sun exposure now.
ZAHN: Yes, but Sanjay, Ill tell you, studies are so confusing. A study comes out last week telling us that Vitamin D comes from the sun, and maybe its a good thing after all that we get sun -- you know, Vitamin D naturally, as opposed to popping it in a pill. So it leaves us all a little confused.
GUPTA: That's right. And for good reason. But the sun is not something that people are saying absolutely avoid at all costs. You need to wear sun protection.
SPF, sun protection factor -- just a quick little thing there -- if you wear SPF of 30, you could probably stay out 30 times as long in the sun as you would otherwise. So that's a good example: hats, clothing, stuff like that. No one is saying avoid it all together, but just be real smart about it.
ZAHN: Yes, well, thanks for the warning. I thought that was important to get on the air today.
GUPTA: Neat guy, yes.
ZAHN: Appreciate it. Both of our doctors hard at work. They also make -- I'm sure your kids have seen these, these shirts that block out the sun. Not a standard cotton shirt, but there actually is some material in the shirt that blocks it.
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