Risks are skin deep

SMOKERS are significantly more likely to develop skin cancer, a new Australian study has found.

Researchers at Queensland’s Berghofer Medical Research Institute spent three years monitoring the development of skin cancers in almost 19,000 people and found those who currently smoked were more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

But the good news is that the risk of developing the cancer drops off as soon someone quits smoking.

“We found that current smokers were at significantly higher risk of SCC than former smokers or people who had never smoked,” Professor David Whiteman said.