Rising skin cancer rates lead experts to urge Albertans to use sunscreen, avoid misinformation

As rates of a unsafe spring of scrape malignant neoplastic disease rear, health experts are warning Albertans to protect themselves and watch out for misinformation circulating on social media.

According to Statistics Canada's most recent data, the number of new melanoma cases in Alberta nearly doubled between 2013 and 2023.

And the age-standardized rate increased from 17.6 to 26.3 per 100,000 people during the same time period.

The Canadian Cancer Society estimates there will be 1,190 cases of melanoma diagnosed in the province this year and 115 Albertans will die due to the illness.

“We expect that about one in 45 Canadians will be diagnosed with melanoma skin cancer at some point in their lifetime,” said Elizabeth Holmes, the organization's director of health policy.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is to blame for 65 per cent of cases, according to the society.

"We know that a childhood sunburn, especially a blistering sunburn, can significantly increase the risk of certain skin cancers, particularly melanoma, which is a much more dangerous form of skin cancers,” said Dr. Ryan Lewinson, a dermatologist and clinical associate professor at the University of Calgary.

“A single tanning session at a tanning salon can increase the risk of melanomas as well."

He recommends wearing a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 (ideally 50) and reapplying every two hours or more if you're swimming or sweating.

But there are concerns that more people may be ditching key forms of sun protection.

A Canadian study published last year found 64 per cent of respondents reported using sunscreen irregularly or never on their body and 58 per cent used it irregularly or never on their face.

One-third of respondents reported having had a sunburn in the previous year.

“Despite increased awareness of melanoma risks, trends indicate a troubling rise in sun exposure over the years, coupled with inconsistent sunscreen use,” the report concluded.

At the University of Alberta, Alessandro Marcon recently studied misinformation about sunscreen on the social media platform TikTok.

While most of the 1,000 videos analyzed promoted sunscreen, a smaller percentage suggested it's toxic or even cancer-causing, he said.

"Those videos with harmful information are shared more often, they're liked more often and they're commented on more often. So they really resonate with particular audiences,” said Marcon, a senior research associate at the Health Law Institute.

“This content has the ability to influence all of us. It’s very attractive. It’s engaging."

Lewinson is also concerned about misinformation on social media.

“Among the medical literature it’s quite clear that there is no evidence that sunscreens cause cancer. And there is no evidence that using sunscreens over a long period has an ill-impact on health,” he said.

“And in fact the studies that we do have show that sunscreen can reduce the risk of certain skin cancers.”

For her part, Holmes is urging people to think critically about what they’re seeing on social media.

“Think about where the information is coming from. Is it from a trusted source? What are the references that they’re giving for that? And then kind of comparing it to what organizations like the Canadian Cancer Society, Health Canada [and] Canadian Dermatology Association are saying,” she said.

In addition to using sunscreen, the Canadian Cancer Society recommends people monitor the UV index daily and hang out in the shade while also wearing hats, UV-protective clothing and sunglasses.

According to the society's 2025 report, the incidence rate for melanoma among Canadian males has levelled off since 2016.

"Among females, melanoma continues to have the fastest rising incidence rate of all reported cancer types," the report reads.

Reporter

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