The Sun, Sunscreen and Your Health

While sunscreens do prevent the most common and non-deadly skin cancers, there is no evidence that they prevent melanomas (the only deadly skin cancer). To the contrary, there appears to be evidence that they, in fact, may cause melanomas. Concern about the lack of evidence that melanoma is prevented by sunscreens (first reported to in a 1993 article in Mother Jones Magazine.) More evidence is mounting. Here are a few excerpts:

2/17/98, NY-"Sunscreens may not protect users from developing deadly skin cancer, melanoma -- one of the fastest rising cancers in the US, reports Dr. Marianne Berwick, an epidemiologist at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Journal of The National Cancer Institute

Autier, P. et. al. "Sunscreen Use, Wearing Clothes, and Number of Nevi in 6- to 7-Year-Old European Children," J. Nat. Cancer Inst. (1998) 90:1873-80.
Abstract: Nevi (pigmented moles) count is a risk factor for melanoma. These researchers counted nevi in 631 kids, then interviewed their parents about their sunscreen use. After adjusting for latitude and skin type, those who used the most sunscreen had the most moles, while those who used the least sunscreen and wore protective clothing instead had the fewest. The controversy about the association between sunscreen use and malignant melanoma: Results of a multicenter EORTC case-control study: "Although we cannot exclude the presence of unknown confounding factors, our results support the hypothesis that sunscreens do not protect against melanoma, probably because of their ability to delay or avoid sunburn episodes, which may allow prolonged exposure to unfiltered ultraviolet radiation. Serious doubts are raised regarding the safety of sunscreens containing psoralens.

The Bottom Line

It's summertime and people should be enjoying the outdoors. We have heard for years about the use of medications that we now know cause many of the health problems they were supposed to cure. We are not suggesting that you not use sunscreen, we are merely pointing out that there is, again, a lack of scientific evidence to prove that the use of sunscreen prevents melanoma-you have been forewarned to be forearmed