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Claris Group Discuss the Link Between Alcohol & Skin Cancer

Wednesday 8 August 2018, 6:28PM

By Beckie Wright

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Research has shown that alcohol may be associated with skin cancer, and conlusions reached through combining the results of many studies have found that alcohol intake is associated with the development of the two common types of skin cancer; basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, as well as melanoma – which is not as common but more deadly.

The risk of skin cancer is said to increase based on alcohol intake, with a 55 per cent increase in risk for problem drinkers, who in this case are classed as those who drink 50 grams – or five standard drinks – of alcohol per day. Claris Group recommend limiting your alcohol consumption to a maximum of two drinks a day is advisable if you want to reduce the chance of your drinking leading to skin cancer, and reducing your exposure to other potential causes of cancer, such as excessive sun, is crucial to decreasing your chances as well.

If you’ve been drinking at a problematic level for a prolonged period of time and are concerned about issues such as skin cancer, booking an appointment at a skin cancer clinic, or one of Claris Group’s related services, can give you peace of mind. They offer a comprehensive, full-body skin check and mole scans, amongst their range of other services.

Workplaces can also get involved by creating a workplace skin cancer clinic for their employees with the Claris Group team, so everyone can get checked without having to worry about booking an appointment. It’s a great opportunity to educate employees on the dangers associated with alcohol consumption and its link to cancer.

Dry July has just finished, but it is a good way to stop drinking alcohol for the month of July. The money raised by participants is used to help support adults living with cancer, and in each of the past two years, Dry July has raised more than NZ$700,000, all of which has gone directly to cancer service organisations such as the Cancer Society of New Zealand, and to cancer care facilities, which often don’t receive funding for much-needed projects and resources, so for more information on skin specialists, mole checks and skin clinics please go to http://claris.co.nz .