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1st appeared 28 May 1998 Don't Forget the Sunscreen Epidemiologist Marianne Berwick of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York found herself at the center of a controversy in February when she suggested that sunscreens don't protect against certain types of skin cancer. Berwick released a study questioning the commonly-held belief that sunscreen helps protect against melanoma -- the deadliest form of skin cancer -- leading dermatologists to fear that sunbathers would abandon their Coppertone en masse. Sunscreen has been proven to effectively protect against ultraviolet B radiation, which causes sunburn and contributes to wrinkles and to two of the most common forms of skin cancer -- basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. However, not all sunscreens have been proven to fight the effects of ultraviolet A radiation, which penetrates more deeply than UVB and is thought to cause a breakdown in collagen and elastin, creating a tough, leathery skin condition. Dermatologists agree that people should continue to wear sunscreen to protect themselves against the sun's harmful rays, but are unsure about the degree to which these lotions will protect against melanoma, which appears to have a strong genetic factor. "The relationship between sunlight and melanoma is a very complex one," said Mohammed Kashani-Sabet, assistant clinical professor of dermatology and co-director of the UCSF/Mount Zion Melanoma Center. "It appears that intermittent exposure, especially during childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, seems to be the critical component." Although the relationship between sunscreen use and the development of melanoma is also complicated, Kashani-Sabet advises patients to definitely use it, and to select products that protect against both UVB and UVA radiation. The risk factors for melanoma are people with light skin, who tan poorly, burn easily and have a history of severe, usually blistering sunburns, Kashani-Sabet said. Having many moles, atypical moles and a personal and/or family history of melanoma are also risk factors. This does not mean that sun worshippers who don't have any of these risk factors have carte blanche to sizzle in the summer sun. They are still at risk for other skin cancers and thus should use sunscreen and practice other preventive measures, such as wearing protective clothing, hats and sunglasses when outdoors. "It is clear for non-melanoma skin cancers, the use of sunscreen can prevent the disease," Kashani-Sabet said, "but patients should not be using sunscreens as a reason to go out and get burnt." by Paula Murphy Links: UCSF/Mount Zion Melanoma Center Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center press release on Dr. Berwick's report American Academy of Dermatology skin cancer press releases |
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