Sunscreens can’t stop skin cancer, says report

SUNSCREEN products may not do enough to prevent skin cancer, researchers have warned.

Scientists from a British medical research charity found that ultraviolent A (UVA) light still penetrated the skin even when sunscreen lotions were used in the recommended dosage.

UVA light causes the release of free radicals, which damage DNA and can in turn lead to malignant melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer. Around 90% of skin cancers are caused by the sun’s UV rays, so the disease is largely preventable.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in Ireland with around 5,500 cases diagnosed annually.

Malignant melanoma is the least common yet most dangerous form of skin cancer. On average there are 382 cases of malignant melanoma in Ireland every year.

Dr Gillian Murphy, a consultant dermatologist at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, said there was too much confidence placed on sunscreens.

“Even though sunscreens help prevent sunburn and may reduce the risk of some skin cancers, there is not enough evidence that sunscreens prevent malignant melanoma,” she warned.

Researchers at the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (RAFT), based at Mount Vernon Hospital in north west London, concluded that using sunscreen could increase the risk of developing melanoma because people tend to stay out in the sun for longer without burning.

The charity's advice was that people should keep out of sun or cover up completely.

Boots, who both manufacture and distribute a wide range of sunscreens, said people should not assume that they were completely protected just because they were wearing sunscreen.

Using a good sunscreen and being sensible in the sun was the best way to stay safe simply because it was unrealistic to ask people to avoid sunshine, a spokesperson for the company said.