Former Rotorua truck driver shares about the driving habit that could increase your cancer risk

Rotorua resident Richard Lyons says at 83 years old he is “damn lucky” to have survived a malignant melanoma on his right forearm - the same forearm he used to hang outside his truck every day for four years.

A skin doctor says sunblock is not enough to protect people who get a lot of sun exposure at work, including drivers who may also end up with more aged-looking skin on one side of their face.

Lyons has spent time working on airport tarmacs and hobby farms. He enjoyed walking his late dog Cubby on sunny days. But he believes he was most exposed to the dangers of ultraviolet radiation during his stint as a truck driver 50 years ago.

“This melanoma, I suspect it goes back to when I had a trucking business in the late 60s, early 70s,” Lyons told the Rotorua Daily Post.

“[I wore] shorts and short-sleeve cotton tops all year around. My arm was stuck out the window all the time on the right-hand side. It used to get very brown over the summer period.

“For three or four years, I spent eight hours a day in the truck and sometimes more, particularly in the summertime. It all counts.”

At the time, Lyons said he never used sunblock “or anything like that” and he isn’t sure what was available at the time would have made a difference.

“When I had the trucking business I recall there was some anti-sunburn oil or cream around in those days but there was nothing like the high-intensity ones they have right now.”

Lyons said he had never been too concerned about skin cancer.

“I’d read about [melanoma] and you hear about it on the telly,” Lyons said.

“I used to give it what I would term cursory acknowledgement.”

Richard Lyons was 83 years old when he was diagnosed with melanoma in his right forearm. He says he didn't stay out much in the sun but was a truck driver for many years. Photo / Andrew Warner

That all changed in September when the 83-year-old noticed that a scab on his right forearm stopped healing properly.

“All of a sudden this little tumour popped up. You could see the growth in it each day.”

Lyons went to his GP and was referred first to Rotorua Hospital and then Waikato Hospital for scans which confirmed the worst. He had melanoma and it was malignant.

“I was a bit surprised but not totally. My main concern was after I had spoken to the surgeons and I thought about it spreading.

“I started to feel very tired.”

The cancer had begun to affect Lyons’ lymph nodes under his left armpit. Lyons was told urgent surgery was needed and that due to the depth of the melanoma, he would lose the affected lymph nodes and some muscle from his forearm.

The surgery took place in November.

“I would like to say very emphatically that the Rotorua Hospital staff right from the very beginning [were] absolutely spot on. I am well today because of them and their true professionalism in everything that they do.”

Now, Lyons is in remission. He has been advised he will need a check-up every six months and Lyons is determined to stick to the appointments.

“Now I’ve had it,” Lyons said.

“I know what [melanonma] is all about and I think about how to tell people what’s going down and what the real chances of getting it are. Everybody can get it.”

Lyons said he wanted to share his story so that drivers knew the car did not protect them from the dangers of the sun’s rays.

“I think some people get complacent about it or they just don’t think about it. It’s an insidious disease.”

Lyons said he hoped reading about his story would teach people to be more careful, whether they could see the sun or not.

“People don’t realise it but even if it’s a cloudy day the sun is still there. When it’s cloudy you can still feel your skin burning.”

The news comes as Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand data shows more people were diagnosed with three skin cancers in the Bay of Plenty region last year than the one prior.

It showed 504 patients were diagnosed with melanoma, BCC (basal cell carcinoma) and SCC (squamous cell carcinoma) skin cancer in 2022, and 545 in 2023 between January and mid-October.

According to skin cancer detection service MoleMap New Zealand’s website those work­ing in pro­fes­sions that require lots of sun expo­sure, like truck drivers, are most at risk.

“Recent stud­ies indi­cate that peo­ple work­ing in these fields may be receiv­ing up to nine times the amount of dan­ger­ous UV radi­a­tion expo­sure than those work­ing in any oth­er capac­i­ty,” the website said.

“Since dri­vers in Aus­tralia and New Zealand sit on the right side of the car, skin can­cers are more promi­nent on the right arm and right side of the face. This is due to the UV expo­sure through the car win­dow.”

Skinspots founder and MoleMap chief medical officer New Zealand, Dr Franz Strydom.

MoleMap New Zealand chief medical officer and Skinspots founder Dr Franz Strydom, who is based in Mount Maunganui, said workers such as bus or truck drivers had “occupational exposure” to the sun.

“The more sun you get, the more damage your skin will get and you will end up [having] a droopy face on one side and the other side [will look] 10 years younger.”

He said bus drivers had a “huge big window in front of them”.

“Some of the light will be filtered through the glass and some of them have some filters on but there’s still a lot of sunlight coming through there. There will still be some UV light that gets to them.”

Strydom said sunscreen would not “be enough” for drivers working six to eight-hour days and they should wear long sleeves, a hat and something to protect their eyes.

He said it was also a problem for outside workers such as farmers, orchardists and builders.

“I have builders coming to see me with arms and legs that look like tree bark because of all the cancers growing on them.”

He said people had become “a bit more savvy” recently about being sun smart but there were still “so many people” who were not.

Strydom said people should avoid “ever getting damaged or burned by the sun”.

“Anybody who gets sunburnt will have a risk of getting a skin cancer later in life.”

He said an online resource people could use was Scan Your Skin.

“It tells you what to look for and if anything’s sore, scaly or slow to heal, anything that’s changing, anything that looks abnormal... and anything that’s new.

“Those things are the most important things to watch out for.”

New Zealand Trucking Association HARMfree programme manager John Sansom said the association recognise the importance of staying sun safe on the road.

“The New Zealand Trucking Association reminds all drivers to protect themselves from the sun. Wear a hat, use sunscreen, and stay hydrated.”

- Additional reporting Megan Wilson

Melanoma: The numbers

• More than 6000 melanomas are diagnosed in New Zealand every year
• Melanoma accounts for nearly 80 per cent of all skin cancer deaths
• Almost 300 Kiwis die of melanoma every year
• Around 70 per cent of melanoma cases occur in people aged 50 years and older
• Men are twice as likely than women to die from melanoma

Source: Melanoma New Zealand

Maryana Garcia is a regional reporter writing for the Rotorua Daily Post and the Bay of Plenty Times. She covers local issues, health and crime.