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Be Sun Smart

It's summertime in Australia and that means BBQ's, cricket and days at the beach. If you are not careful it can also mean sunburn.

Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. More than 430,000 Australians are treated a year for skin cancers. Of these, over 10,500 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed. Each year there are around 1850 deaths from melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer.

The major cause of skin cancer is too much exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. Skin can burn in as little as 15 minutes in the summer sun so it is important to protect your skin from UV radiation.

Click here for a SunSmart fact sheet and don't forget to Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide.

All fact sheets have been provided by Cancer Council Australia. Please visit http://www.cancer.org.au or call 13 11 20 for more information.