Doctors warn exposure to UV rays particularly intense this season

Doctors are warning that exposure to the sun this summer has been as intense in the Czech Republic as in Croatia or northern Italy, due to the weakening of the ozone layer. On Thursday, the head of the Czech Dermatological Society Petr Arenberger warned the public not to underestimate the risk of skin cancer and to take proper precautions when in the sun. The Czech Republic sees an average of 2,000 new melanoma cases annually and skin cancer makes up one quarter of tumour cases. According to specialists, burns from overexposure to UV rays in childhood can increase the risk of skin cancer later in life. Women up to the age of 29 are considered at higher risk, as are men over the age of 50.