THE IRISH CANCER Society has called for suncream to be made more affordable in Ireland, as a skin cancer survivor highlighted the difficult treatment she underwent.
According to research from the Irish Cancer Society, seven in 10 people say suncream is too expensive, and one in 10 say they do not wear it because they can’t afford it.
Deirdre Bonass, a single mother of six, is currently recovering from treatment for basal cell carcinoma skin cancer.
She said that as she was undergoing treatment in the form of chemotherapy cream, she suffered from blisters and spots on her face, as well as a burning sensation she likened to “rubbing a hot iron over your face”.
“The doctor gave me a leaflet showing the stages of the treatment and the impact it will have on my skin – I showed this to family and friends so that they would also be prepared, but nothing could really prepare us for how bad it would get.
“I am so thankful that there was a treatment available to me and that the effects on my skin were temporary. My skin is now almost back to normal and although the treatment was severe, it was a lifeline to me.”
Skin cancer is Ireland’s most common cancer with around 13,000 people diagnosed every year. The National Cancer Registry of Ireland expects this number to double by 2040.
Deirdre says she believes Irish people don’t take enough precautions to protect their skin.
Deirdre is calling on people to protect their skin and mitigate the risks of skin cancer: “I was diagnosed with skin cancer because of my exposure to the sun.
“Skin cancer can be prevented and my message is that treatment is not easy.
That’s why I want to tell my story, not to scare people, but to show people the reality of living with skin cancer, the treatment and recovery process, and to encourage people to get ahead of cancer and take every precaution in the sun this summer.”
She added that, as a single mother to six children, she felt the cost of suncream was a barrier to families protecting themselves from the sun.
“Suncream can be expensive, particularly if you are trying to keep the kids safe in the sun.
“I know I have used suncream sparingly in the past because you’re trying to stretch out how long a bottle lasts. If we want people to protect their skin, we have to make it more affordable.”
Most of Tesco’s range of suncream is over €20 per bottle for non-Clubcard holders.
Boots’ own-brand Soltan range costs up to €13, but the pharmacy chain sells other brands which cost considerably more.
A spokesperson for the Irish Cancer Society told The Journal: “We don’t want protecting your skin and reducing your risk of skin cancer to be a privilege for those who can afford it.
The cost-of-living crisis has seen people’s disposable income in real terms fall drastically so we need to look at knocking down barriers that stand in the way of cancer prevention, and the prohibitive cost of suncream is one of those barriers.”
The Irish Cancer Society recommends wearing suncream between April and September, with the average adult needing 35ml to cover their whole body. It is also recommended that sun cream be reapplied every two hours.
Dr Blaithin Moriarty, Consultant Dermatologist at St. Vincent’s Hospital and Associate Professor, UCD School of Medicine, said: “While the majority of skin cancers, when caught at an early stage, are not life threatening, treatment is frequently unpleasant, distressing and disfiguring.
“90% of skin cancers are induced by UV light and are, as such, preventable. Any new spots or blotches, or changes to existing moles which do not settle after a period of weeks should be brought to the attention of a GP.”
Kevin O’Hagan, Cancer Prevention Manager at the Irish Cancer Society, said: “Sun safety is vital and that means protecting your skin, wherever you are, home or abroad.
“From Deirdre’s powerful story, we can see the considerable challenges of going through skin cancer treatment.”
O’Hagan added that in its pre-budget submission, the Irish Cancer Society called for government action to ensure suncream is affordable “to ensure protecting your skin is not out of reach for struggling families in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
The HSE and the Irish Cancer Society advise the following steps to protect your skin from the sun:
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