Does Sunscreen Protect Against Skin Cancer?

[Rianne]

My dermatologist does not wear sunscreen. When his attending nurse asked me if I did, I said occasionally but not really. He did not seem to mind and did not press the issue. So I did some searching and found this article. Surprisingly, there is very little evidence it protects against skin cancer.



https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29620003

 

[Aerides]

I think some are better than others, but a majority of drug store ones are not that great, if they don't cover UVA/UVB. My dermatologist at the cleveland clinic definitely recommends it, and certain brands over others. Whether she's getting kick backs I have no idea, but good enough for me.

The user is a big factor too - how well you apply, how many gaps you leave (hairline, ears, etc.) How often you reapply. So, lets say sunscreen done perfectly has a small impact - sunscreen done imperfectly would be even less.

I do also believe that sunburns - repeated harsh damage over time - can contribute to higher risk of skin cancer, so by avoiding burns the risk is reduced.

And even if all that is wrong, and it has truly zero impact? Burning reduces my skin to leather, and I'd avoid that look for as long as possible!

 

[Jerry1]

I thought (do think) that it helps but the main reason I wear sunscreen is because a sunburn hurts and I don’t want it. If I’m on vacation, I’m certain to wear it. At home, mostly just on golf days. Working in the yard, mostly I just wear long sleeves. Given the lack of hair, most always wear a hat.

 

[ERD50]

I ...
The user is a big factor too - how well you apply, how many gaps you leave (hairline, ears, etc.) How often you reapply. So, lets say sunscreen done perfectly has a small impact - sunscreen done imperfectly would be even less. ...

Because of all that, I've gone to wearing one of those big floppy 'garden hats' when I'm out in the yard in the sun. t might look kinda goofy, but I don't care.

With the hat, I know my ears/neck are shaded, I don't have to worry about the sunscreen getting applied properly, or getting wiped off. And I don't need to clean anything off later.

Without the hat, I have had ears/neck get sunburn, so I think this is good protection.

-ERD50

 

[MRG]

My DF was a long time golfer and fisherman who live in SW Fl. He hated hats and sunscreen, never wore either.

Man had more melanoma than anyone I've ever known . Mostly just on the skin, although one went deeper and was pretty serious. The old man didn't have the tops of his ears left when he died of old age at 96.

We don't do much for sunscreen, mainly in the winter time, going to the Springs. I've had a couple of winter burns and they're no fun. I won't go outside without a wide brimmed hat.

 

[Fedup]

I wear them religiously when I was younger because I was a beach bum. Only recently, I didn’t but was exposed for a few hours and I noticed I’ve got wrinkles where I didn’t wear them. So I do wear them on my face when I swim. A lot of people in my bridge club have awful skin, maybe they don’t wear them often. I know they are older but I don’t remember my in laws were that bad at that age. My husband and I still have good skin because we wear sunscreen.

 

[Amethyst]

Melanoma? Do you mean basal carcinoma? Melanoma will kill you. The others are the ones that will eat parts of your face, but you'll survive.

Then there are the harmless, but unattractive, black-and-brown "stickers" that come with age and sun exposure. I think those are called seborrheic keratosis.

My DF was a long time golfer and fisherman who live in SW Fl. He hated hats and sunscreen, never wore either.

Man had more melanoma than anyone I've ever known . Mostly just on the skin, although one went deeper and was pretty serious. The old man didn't have the tops of his ears left when he died of old age at 96.

We don't do much for sunscreen, mainly in the winter time, going to the Springs. I've had a couple of winter burns and they're no fun. I won't go outside without a wide brimmed hat.

 

[sengsational]

We did a horrible disservice to our kids when they were little, and I feel bad about it.


What did we do? Put plenty of sunscreen on them and reapplied often.


Back then, the formulas protected for UVA. So the kids never got red. But they got slammed with UVB, which causes skin degradation and skin cancer.


With "broad spectrum" formulations, the story is different, although there is a non-zero risk from the blocking chemicals themselves.


As for me, it's a big hat and jump into the shade whenever possible.

 

[MRG]

Melanoma? Do you mean basal carcinoma? Melanoma will kill you. The others are the ones that will eat parts of your face, but you'll survive.

Then there are the harmless, but unattractive, black-and-brown "stickers" that come with age and sun exposure. I think those are called seborrheic keratosis.

He said melanoma. I know it's sometimes fatal. My MIL died from it. She had a cancer on her leg, 5 years later it was in her brain.

MIL's treatment for her leg was much like DF'S one bad one on his arm, cut to the bone, no chemo or radiation.

 

[Fedup]

I don’t wear sunscreen on my leg when I swim, I must do that now. I only swim less about 30 minutes early in the morning though.

 

[JoeWras]

Melanoma? Do you mean basal carcinoma? Melanoma will kill you. The others are the ones that will eat parts of your face, but you'll survive.

Then there are the harmless, but unattractive, black-and-brown "stickers" that come with age and sun exposure. I think those are called seborrheic keratosis.

I can't answer for MRG, but I want to pass along the word that Melanoma does not mean death if caught early.

I have two friends of north European descent who have survived Melanoma. Actually, one friend has had 5 lesions removed, most stage 0 and one (his first) stage 1A.

He was very smart to see a doctor for his first. Saved his life. After that, he has a complete check every 3 months where the stage 0s are removed.

In both cases, the margins are incredibly wide (pretty big cuts). They are life saving.

In no way am I saying melanoma is not dangerous. It is. My point being that 30 years ago, we seemed to wait too long and people who had the big M had a death sentence (late stages). Since then, a big wake up has occurred and if caught in the very earliest stages, it is treatable. People who have had successful detection may see many more since they are getting good treatment and detection.

 

[jcretire77]

My dermatologist said that most of the cancers that we see were caused by damage we received as children. I had some terrible sunburns back then and have had two basal cell removals. Decades of tennis and now golf don't help, but I always wear a hat and try to remember to wear sunscreen. I also use an umbrella attached to the push cart. If nothing else it does help the skin to not look so aged.

 

[bjorn2bwild]

The sunscreen or not decision was made by my immune system. I am allergic to most sunscreen chemicals.
The mineral (metal) based compounds work OK but are usually thick and sticky so I use them sparingly during high exposure outings like high altitude hiking/biking or skiing.
I mainly rely on long sleeves, hat and melanin by getting regular low intensity sun exposure.

 

[UnrealizedPotential]

I wear sunscreen during the summer . If I didn't I would be a roasted marshmallow. It seems to keep me from getting sunburned and that is what I bought it for. What the other benefits are if any, I don't know. On the container it says broad spectrum, SPF 50.

 

[6miths]

Pretty hard evidence to generate given the time between insult and the amount of sun needed to make a difference (and variability in types and usage patterns). I think the one RCT done in Australia for skin cancers other than melanoma showed no difference.

As pointed out, melanoma (the only skin cancer included in general cancer statistics) is very curable if caught and treated early.

I use sunscreen and my trusty Tilley hat!

 

[timo2]

I use sunscreen and my trusty Tilley hat!

+1
By dermatologist said to wear a hat and use sunscreen. So I always use a light face sunscreen. Additionally, suncreens are a poor person's wrinkle cream.https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sunscreen-beats-moisturizer-for-wrinkles/

 

[Dawg52]

Every dermatologist I have ever gone to recommended sunscreen. Also to wear a wide brim hat. I do wear hats when playing golf but not always the wide brim kind. I have had a couple of basal cells and one squamous cell cut off. I see a dermatologist twice a year.

 

[braumeister]

My dermatologist:

You should always wear sunscreen, long sleeves, and a hat. And stay out of the sun, especially at midday.

My primary physician:

You should make sure to get plenty of sunshine to keep your Vitamin D level up. Midday is the most effective time.

 

[Scuba]

I wear an SPF 50 barrier sunscreen on my face, ears, neck and upper chest daily on the advice of my dermatologist. She also says I should wear SPF 30 on my body which I do if I go to the beach, but not usually for other outdoor activities. I have olive skin so no problems so far other than freckles, age spots and wrinkles. Hope I don’t look too leathery when I’m 80 but I love the outdoors and the sun.

 

[Dtail]

I can't answer for MRG, but I want to pass along the word that Melanoma does not mean death if caught early.

I have two friends of north European descent who have survived Melanoma. Actually, one friend has had 5 lesions removed, most stage 0 and one (his first) stage 1A.

He was very smart to see a doctor for his first. Saved his life. After that, he has a complete check every 3 months where the stage 0s are removed.

In both cases, the margins are incredibly wide (pretty big cuts). They are life saving.

In no way am I saying melanoma is not dangerous. It is. My point being that 30 years ago, we seemed to wait too long and people who had the big M had a death sentence (late stages). Since then, a big wake up has occurred and if caught in the very earliest stages, it is treatable. People who have had successful detection may see many more since they are getting good treatment and detection.

+1
I have had Melanoma - Stage 0. 4 inch scar on the back (you should see the other guy).
Checkups every 6 months and can usually predict which spots are taken off.
Still go out in the sun often with skin spray applied.

 

[Walt34]

I wear it when going out for long periods, which isn't often. I had a squamous cell one removed from the top of my left ear ~28 years ago (looked like a pimple that wouldn't heal) and last year had surgery for two sites of melanoma. Fortunately both were caught very early so no other follow-up except close watching needed.

 

[Amethyst]

My dermatologist told me the same thing. Sunscreen wasn't available to me until I was earning my own money; I had some very bad (blisters) sunburns in my teens. And I'm 50% Irish.

The dermatologist told me that I'm doing very well for someone who had severe childhood/teen sunburns.

Here's another shout-out for Tilley hats. The only hat that actually looks good on me.

My dermatologist said that most of the cancers that we see were caused by damage we received as children. .

 

[RAE]

I never wear sunscreen, and I am outside a fair amount during the summer months. Based on what I've read (and you can find peer-reviewed studies that support this), sunscreen is not only ineffective at preventing melanoma, it actually increases your chance of having melanoma. That's because it both blocks absorption of Vitamin D from the sun, and some of the chemicals in many sunscreens are toxic, and able to enter the bloodstream through your skin. I wear a big hat and a light cotton shirt with long sleeves on days when I am concerned about getting too much sun. But I also deliberately increase my exposure to the sun for short periods of time, to make sure I am getting enough Vitamin D. If you are going to use sunscreen (and I would only do it as a last resort), I would use one recommended by EWG, that does not have all the toxic ingredients:


https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/

 

[bmcgonig]

I never wear sunscreen, and I am outside a fair amount during the summer months. Based on what I've read (and you can find peer-reviewed studies that support this), sunscreen is not only ineffective at preventing melanoma, it actually increases your chance of having melanoma. That's because it both blocks absorption of Vitamin D from the sun, and some of the chemicals in many sunscreens are toxic, and able to enter the bloodstream through your skin. I wear a big hat and a light cotton shirt with long sleeves on days when I am concerned about getting too much sun. But I also deliberately increase my exposure to the sun for short periods of time, to make sure I am getting enough Vitamin D. If you are going to use sunscreen (and I would only do it as a last resort), I would use one recommended by EWG, that does not have all the toxic ingredients:


https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4402823/


Background: Epidemiological studies evaluating the association between sunscreens use and malignant melanoma risk have produced inconsistent results. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence from epidemiological studies of sunscreens use with the risk of malignant melanoma. Methods: Pertinent studies were identified by a search in PubMed and Web of Knowledge up to October 2014. Random-effect model was used to combine the results. Publication bias was estimated using Egger’s regression asymmetry test. Results: Twenty-one studies including 7150 malignant melanoma cases about sunscreens use with the risk of malignant melanoma were included in this meta-analysis

Conclusions: Our analysis indicated that sunscreens use is not associated with the risk of malignant melanoma.

 

[RAE]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4402823/


Background: Epidemiological studies evaluating the association between sunscreens use and malignant melanoma risk have produced inconsistent results. Thus, we conducted a meta-analysis to summarize the evidence from epidemiological studies of sunscreens use with the risk of malignant melanoma. Methods: Pertinent studies were identified by a search in PubMed and Web of Knowledge up to October 2014. Random-effect model was used to combine the results. Publication bias was estimated using Egger’s regression asymmetry test. Results: Twenty-one studies including 7150 malignant melanoma cases about sunscreens use with the risk of malignant melanoma were included in this meta-analysis

Conclusions: Our analysis indicated that sunscreens use is not associated with the risk of malignant melanoma.

You can find studies that refute their conclusion also, as I'm sure you know, if you looked through the literature. Here is an article (which cites some of those contradictory studies) that summarizes some of the problems associated with sunscreen use, and a quote from the article:

https://thetruthaboutcancer.com/causes-of-skin-cancer/

"A 2004 study in the medical journal The Lancet showed indoor workers were twice as likely to get skin cancer as those who spent more time in the sun: “Paradoxically, outdoor workers have a decreased risk of melanoma compared with indoor workers, suggesting that chronic sunlight exposure can have a protective effect.”
Lack of sunlight means lack of vitamin D, which is a necessary nutrient for the body’s immune system to function properly. Low vitamin D levels are linked to health problems, including cancer. Appropriate sun exposure helps maintain adequate levels of vitamin D. Using sunscreen interferes with that exposure and could be contributing to the rise in skin cancer."

Here is what is in many of the most popular sunscreens:


"Sunscreen often contains cancer-causing chemicals that bake into the skin and get absorbed into the bloodstream, over-taxing the liver with toxins. Here are some of the offenders:

1. OMC – The main chemical used in sunscreens to filter out UVB is octyl methoxycinnamate (aka “OMC”) which has been shown to kill mouse cells even at low doses. Plus, it was also shown to be particularly toxic when exposed to the sun. And guess what? OMC is present in the vast majority of sunscreen brands!
2. Titanium dioxide – another common ingredient in sunscreens, has been classified as “a potential occupational carcinogen” by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.
3. Oxybenzone – oxybenzone becomes carcinogenic when exposed to the sun and has been found to be a hormone disruptor! The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recommends consumers avoid oxybenzone, and yet it remains in many major brands of sunscreen.
4. Derivatives of vitamin A such as retinol and retinyl palmitate – AOL News reported that about half the sunscreens tested in a study contained derivatives of vitamin A such as retinol and retinyl palmitate. These ingredients have been found to be photocarcinogenic by the FDA’s own studies, meaning the ingredients become toxic and cancer causing when exposed to sunlight.
5. Diesopropyl adipate – in 2006, the National Toxicology Program reported that diesopropyl adipate, another ingredient in many sunscreens, increased the incidence of tumors in laboratory animals."

Personally, I have no desire to put this stuff on my skin.........I'll stick with my hat and lightweight long-sleeve shirt if I feel like I am getting too much sun.