Wearing sunscreen may NOT prevent skin cancer: People who used sun protection have 'similar chances to those who don't lather up' New research shows sunscreen is not always effective protection It means it could be unethical to test certain people in scientific trials But the researchers warn health guidelines should still advise wearing it Sunscreen may not prevent skin cancer, a new study warns. It means it could be unethical to test the effectiveness of sunscreen on randomly-assigned people in clinical trials. The findings should not change health guidelines and we should still wear sunscreen, the researchers at Colombia's Instituto de Evaluacion Technoloica said. But scientists should be more cautious about how they survey the products. It could be unethical to test the effectiveness of sunscreen on random people in clinical trials SKIN CANCER 'IS DEADLIER FOR BLACK PEOPLE' Black people are more likely to die from the most deadly type of skin cancer, scientists claim. Although white people have a higher chance of developing skin cancer, patients with skin of colour are less likely to survive. Patients of African-American descent were more likely to be diagnosed with melanoma once it had spread - making it harder to treat, researchers found. But experts said this didn't explain their findings, as they also had the worst survival rates for every stage of the disease. Melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer - can appear anywhere on the body. It often spreads to other organs in the body, making it more deadly. Study author Dr Jeremy Bordeaux, from the Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, said: 'Everyone is at risk for skin cancer, regardless of race. 'Patients with skin of colour may believe they aren't at risk, but that is not the case and when they do get skin cancer, it may be especially deadly.' 'Lack of high quality experimental evidence should not be equated with evidence that such interventions are ineffective,' lead authors Dr Ingrid Arevalo-Rodriguez and Dr Guillermo Sanchez said. 'It is important that patients and consumers do not stop protecting their skin until better quality evidence emerges.' Dr Laura Ferris, a dermatologist at the University of Pittsburgh who wasn't involved in the research review, pointed out that it's difficult to measure the effect of sun protection on the prevention of skin cancer, 'particularly because it is not ethical or practical to randomize the population.' 'One could not, for example, tell one group to seek shade, wear a hat, and use sunscreen and another to sit in the direct sun and abstain from use of sunscreen,' Ferris added. 'So lack of evidence does not mean that sun protection has no impact on the risk of skin cancer, just that the impact is difficult to measure.' In a review published by the Cochrane Library, Arevalo-Rodriguez and Sanchez and colleagues set out to assess how much we already know about whether sunscreen and other protective measures, such as wearing hats or sunglasses or staying in the shade, prevent skin cancer. They focused on what's known as basal cell and cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas, which make up the majority of skin cancer cases. Their analysis didn't look at melanoma, a rare and much more deadly type of skin cancer. The research team only wanted to look at trials that randomly assigned some people to use sunscreen or other protection - and they found just one study that met their criteria. This study, done in Australia, monitored about 1,600 people for more than four years and didn't find a meaningful difference in the number of new cancer cases detected based on whether people used sunscreen every day or only occasionally. That might not be long enough to follow patients to see if sunscreen prevents skin cancer because it can take several years after sun exposure to detect abnormalities on the skin. What this does suggest is that more high-quality research is needed, the authors said. The dangers of sitting in the sun for too long: Even without more studies, there's already plenty of proof that exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun causes skin cancer and melanoma In the meantime, 'Patients and consumers in general need to consult health professionals to obtain specific advice about the need of specific preventive measures, according with their age, skin color, occupation and presence of other risk factors for skin cancer, among other factors,' they added. Even without more studies, there's already plenty of proof that exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun causes skin cancer and melanoma, noted Dr David Leffell, a skin cancer researcher at Yale School of Medicine who wasn't involved in the research review. 'The scientific facts are inescapable—regular use of sun protection reduces skin cancer and cancer precursors,' Leffell said by email. 'The benefits of sun protection and the incontrovertible evidence of sunburn and chronic sun exposure as a cause of about 60 per cent of melanomas should inspire people to continue reasonable sun protection if they fit into the moderate to high risk groups, and even if they don't,' Leffell added. How to deal with sunburn - by a doctor: Avoid booze, use a steroid cream and NEVER pick blistered skin Dr Anjali Mahto, consultant dermatologist from the British Skin Foundation, says acting quickly, dosing up on painkillers and moisturising will help. She also advises never popping blisters and urges seeking medical advice if you suffer nausea, dizziness or severe pain as a result of catching the sun. Here, writing for the medical blogging site The Hippocratic Post, she shares her best tips on relieving discomfort... ACT QUICKLY Get out of the sun, cover up the affected areas and stay in the shade until your sunburn has healed. Wear loose cotton clothing that allows your skin to “breathe” over the sunburnt areas. For those already affected, moisturising and dosing up on painkillers will help to soothe the pain of sunburn TAKE OVER THE COUNTER PAIN RELIEF Analgesia or painkillers can help relieve the pain and reduce inflammation caused by sunburn. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen are ideal and should be continued for a period of at least 48 hours so long as it can be. Paracetamol will help with pain but has little effect on inflammation. COOL THE SKIN Apply a cool compresser to the skin e.g. a towel dampened with cool water for 15 minutes, or take a cool bath or shower. Aim to keep the temperature just below luke-warm. Make sure the shower has a gentle flow of water rather than being on full power. If blisters are starting to develop, then a bath is preferable. Do not rub your skin with a towel, but gently pat it dry when you get out. LEAVE BLISTERS ALONE Try not to pop them as this can lead to infection and scarring. They will settle by themselves after a few days. In the meantime, treat the skin gently. MOISTURIZE Use an unperfumed cream or lotion to soothe the skin after a bath or shower. Repeated applications of this are necessary to reduce the appearance of peeling and this may need to be continued for several weeks. Aloe vera or soy containing gels or lotions can be beneficial in soothing the skin. Aloe vera not only has a cooling effect on the skin but also acts as an anti-inflammatory. Be wary of using creams or lotions that contain petroleum, benzocaine, or lidocaine. These can either trap heat in the skin or cause local skin irritation. STAY HYDRATED Sunburn can encourage fluid loss through the skin. Drinking plenty of water will prevent dehydration and help your body recover. Alcohol should ideally be avoided during this time, as it will make dehydration worse. USE MILD STEROID CREAM Creams such as 0.5-1 per cent hydrocortisone for 48 hours. It may decrease pain and swelling caused by sunburn and speed up the healing process. This is best avoided in small children. WEAR BROAD-SPECTRUM SUNSCREEN Wear at least an SPF 30 suncreen which offers UVA and UVB protection to look after your body's largest organ. Avoid the midday sun and wear protective clothing, a hat and sunglasses to limit the skin’s exposure to UV radiation. Your skin will thank you for it in the long run. In an ideal world, preventing sunburn remains key to maintaining skin integrity and health. Not only does sunburn cause short-term discomfort, it also has a number of well-recognised long-term consequences including the development of future skin cancers and risk of premature ageing. Source
