December 2009 podcast transcript

This month in the Cancer Research UK podcast, a new survey shows that more than a quarter of a million children are risking their health by tanning on sunbeds.

London scientists reveal an exciting new drug that could be used to treat lung cancer.

New findings suggest that more cancers are linked to tobacco and alcohol than previously thought.

And researchers in Dundee have shown the potent effect of a ‘protector’ gene in bowel cancer.

00:30
This is the Cancer Research UK podcast. I’m Kat Arney.

More than a quarter of a million children aged 11 to 17 are risking their health by using sunbeds – that’s the latest warning from Cancer Research UK.
Our survey, published in the British Medical Journal, found that in England, on average, six per cent of 11 to 17 year olds use sunbeds.

But in Liverpool and Sunderland a shocking half of all 15 to17 year-old girls aim to tan on sunbeds.And more than two in five actually use them at least once a week.

Experts agree that using sunbeds increases the risk of developing malignant melanoma, the most dangerous and potentially fatal form of skin cancer.
Cancer Research UK’s head of policy Sarah Woolnough, tells us more.

“As part of our research we undertook a number of focus groups with young sunbed users, and there are a variety of reasons. Of course young girls can gain easy access to sunbed salons very often, we know that it’s cheap to go on a sunbed, we know that it’s seen as something to do with friends, with siblings, a social activity.

And of course there is clearly still a desire among a large proportion of young people particularly girls, to be tanned, for all kinds of reasons. They feel as though they look more attractive with a tan, for example.”

And we’ve got more on that story later.

Scientists at Imperial College London have discovered a drug that could stop lung cancer tumours from growing and becoming resistant to treatment.

The researchers, part-funded by Cancer Research UK, found that the drug eliminated tumours in half of the mice in the study, and they are now planning to test the drug in people.

Dr Joanna Owens, Cancer Research UK’s science information manager, says this is exciting, but still a long way from being used to treat patients.

“We urgently need new treatments for lung cancer, so it’s really encouraging to see this early research and see these potential new drugs doing so well in early studies. But obviously there’s a long way to go before we know whether the results from these studies can be reproduced in the clinic and actually benefit people with cancer.”

The International Agency for Research on Cancer have added bowel and ovarian to the list of cancers that are caused by smoking. They also confirm that children of smokers are also at an increased risk of a rare form of cancer, and that there’s some evidence of alcohol increasing the risk of pancreatic cancer.

Cancer Research UK’s head of tobacco control, Elspeth Lee, commented on the report.

“We already know that tobacco causes over a dozen cancers, including cancer of the stomach, the pancreas and the bladder, but what this report also now shows us is that tobacco use is linked with bowel cancer, rectal cancer and another type of ovarian cancer.

And it also shows us even more reasons why it’s important that parents and women who are pregnant stop smoking, because it shows that children who are exposed to second-hand smoke have a greater risk of leukaemia, and a type of liver cancer.”

And finally, Cancer Research UK scientists have shown that removing a single gene can increase the average number of tumours in the bowel by 50-fold.

Led by Professor Roland Wolf, the scientists at the University of Dundee removed a gene called GSTP from mice that were already genetically predisposed to small intestine tumours.

The dramatic increase in tumour numbers in the mice lacking GSTP appears to be related to increased inflammation in the bowel. Senior science information officer, Dr Alison Ross, tells us more.

“Bowel cancer is a very common cancer – it’s actually the third most common cancer in the UK – so this piece of research is important as it’s adding to our understanding of how bowel cancer develops, and it could lead to new ways to prevent or treat the disease in the future.”

4:35
And that’s the news for this month. Here’s our reporter Paul Thorne with more on the story about use of sunbeds by children.

Paul: Sunbeds are often seen as a safer or healthier alternative to sunbathing, but the reality is that they give out the same damaging ultraviolet rays as the sun. This UV radiation damages DNA in skin cells, increasing the risk of malignant melanoma – the most dangerous form of skin cancer – as well as speeding up the ageing process.

We spoke to Sarah Woolnough, head of policy at Cancer Research UK to find out more about the dangers of sunbeds.

“There’s now a large body of evidence that suggests that sunbed use is harmful. For example the International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified sunbeds in their highest risk category for cancer. Sunbed use before the age of thirty-five increase the risk of developing malignant melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, significantly.

This is a really worrying finding. If you just think about skin cancer rates across the UK at the moment, there’s been a stark rise in rates of skin cancer and malignant melanoma, and experts believe that binge tanning on foreign holidays and sunbed use are key reasons for this increase.”

So the risks are clear – but how can we protect children from the dangers of sunbeds?

“Cancer Research UK strongly supports legislation and would like to see the government take steps to introduce legislation to better regulate sunbed salons - to prevent under 18s from using sunbeds, to ensure that accurate health information is on display in all salons, so that adults, who are free to make their own choices, can do so, but knowing the risks involved.

And we’d also like to see salons have trained staff, in order that they can supervise use, ensure that young people aren’t using sunbeds, and generally make sure that people are using sunbeds in a more controlled environment.”

Kat: That was our reporter Paul Thorne and Sarah Woolnough, head of policy at Cancer Research UK. We’ll be back next month with all the latest news. In the meantime, you can keep up to date by visiting our Science Update blog, that’s scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org.