[Behavioral and structural prevention of skin cancer : Implementation and effectiveness]

Abstract

Background: Ultraviolet radiation (UV)-induced malignancies, especially skin cancer, have continued to increase for decades. The main cause is natural and artificial UV radiation. The affected persons and the health care system are heavily burdened. The situation threatens to worsen, as climate change could lead to an increase in UV radiation exposure of the population and, thus, the risk of UV-related cancer in Germany as well. The prevention of UV-related diseases is, therefore, a health and radiation protection objective that needs to be considered.

Objective: Necessary and appropriate prevention measures for the precaution of UV-related cancer are presented.

Materials and methods: The currently recommended and applied primary behavioral and structural preventive measures and potential, prevention-related relief for the health care system are examined and summarized.

Results: Numerous behavioral and structural preventive measures are already being applied. Sustainably designed, multicomponent and personalized behavioral preventive measures in combination with structural prevention modules are effective and have a high economic and health-related benefit. The use of modern media and multimedia measures is recommended.

Conclusion: Structural prevention measures in addition to behavioral measures enable a reduction of the cancer risk caused by UV radiation. The aim must be to establish these measures nationwide for the entire population.

Keywords: Effectiveness; Malignant melanoma; Non-melanoma skin cancer; Precautionary measures; UV radiation.