{"id":926,"date":"2026-05-07T05:59:42","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T05:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/?p=926"},"modified":"2026-05-07T05:59:42","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T05:59:42","slug":"health-authorities-warn-of-rising-skin-cancer-cases-in-sri-lanka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/2026\/05\/07\/health-authorities-warn-of-rising-skin-cancer-cases-in-sri-lanka\/","title":{"rendered":"Health Authorities Warn of Rising Skin Cancer Cases in Sri Lanka"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Health authorities have warned that skin cancer cases are on the rise and urged the public to take preventive measures to protect themselves from excessive exposure to sunlight.<\/p>\n<p>Consultant Oncologist Dr. Hasanthi Jayalath stated that nearly 35,000 skin cancer cases are reported annually, while approximately 15,000 deaths occur each year due to cancer-related illnesses.<\/p>\n<p>She emphasized that people should use sunscreen with at least SPF 30 protection to minimize damage caused by ultraviolet rays. The public has also been advised to avoid direct sunlight between 10.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m., when UV exposure is at its peak.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Jayalath further recommended wearing protective clothing, including hats, and regularly applying sunscreen when going outdoors.<\/p>\n<p>According to health experts, the most commonly reported types of skin cancer include Basal Cell Carcinoma, Squamous Cell Carcinoma, and Melanoma. Among them, melanoma is considered particularly dangerous because it can spread rapidly and become life-threatening if not detected at an early stage.<\/p>\n<p>Authorities also warned that some skin-whitening creams may contain harmful chemicals such as hydroquinone, mercury, and steroids. These substances can weaken the skin\u2019s natural protective barrier and potentially increase the risk of developing skin cancer.<\/p>\n<p>Health officials stressed the importance of increasing public awareness about skin cancer, especially in areas with high exposure to sunlight, through widespread educational and awareness campaigns.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Health authorities have warned that skin cancer cases are on the rise and urged the public to take preventive measures to protect themselves from excessive exposure to sunlight. Consultant Oncologist Dr. Hasanthi Jayalath stated that nearly 35,000 skin cancer cases are reported annually, while approximately 15,000 deaths occur each year due to cancer-related illnesses. She &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":927,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=926"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":928,"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/926\/revisions\/928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/927"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tamilmail.lk\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}