Skin Cancer & Rowers

I asked my skin cancer specialist, neighbour and close friend Dr. Peter Kim MBBS FRACGP FACCS to send me something on skin cancer and rowers and he obliged with the following:-

“Rowing is a popular outdoor sport that takes place during the peak UV Radiation season. In September 2021, the University of Otago published an interesting study to quantify the real-time solar UVR exposure experienced by high school rowers during competition. UVR was measured by a UV dosimeter that was attached to the rowers during the competition.

It confirmed the long-held suspicion that the rowers were exposed to a harmful dose of UV Radiation. The study found that most race times exceeded the daily Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency recommendation of 1 SED and that UVR exposure during a quarter of race times was high enough to cause sunburn in people with light-coloured skin.

The study indicates that rowing is a high UVR sport and that races outside of peak UVR times also warrant the use of sun protection even when the UVI < 3. Given that acute and cumulative UVR exposure are recognised risk factors in the development of ocular diseases and skin cancers later in life, risk management guidelines for competitive school rowing will be incomplete until a long-term approach to well-being is considered and comprehensive sun protection measures are adopted.

The study concluded with the statement that “rowing should include comprehensive sun protection measures to mitigate the risk of the development of skin cancer.”

Going forward, robust and comprehensive sun protection measures should be implemented to mitigate the rower’s risk of the development of skin cancers.

However, rowers who have sustained significant UV exposure from years of rowing should have their skin checked regularly to diagnose and treat skin cancers.

Headlines such as "Kathleen Heddle, Olympic rower who won 3 gold medals, dies at 55 with melanoma" and "Darryn Purcell's melanoma battle a cautionary tale" are preventable.”

Dr. Peter Kim recently donated $ 5,000 to the Union of Rowers Youth Scholarship Program through the Australian Sports Foundation which we are all extremely grateful for.

Peter has very successfully treated me and many of my friends for years now at his skin cancer clinic in Ground Floor 62-80 Rowe Street, Eastwood. Best of all is that he Bulk Bills. Please go to Peter’s informative website www.peterkim.com.au for more information and to make an appointment (9411 4880).

Terry Maher.