Blog

Do sunsreens cause cancer? THE ANSWER IS NO

Regular Application of Sunscreen Can Prevent Skin Cancer

The stronger evidence comes from the randomized Nambour Skin Cancer Prevention Trial, published by Green and colleagues in The Lancet. Participants assigned to regular sunscreen application developed significantly fewer squamous cell carcinomas, with no evidence that sunscreen increased basal cell carcinoma risk. Long-term follow-up showed an approximately 40% reduction in squamous cell carcinoma tumor rates among those originally assigned to regular sunscreen use. The evidence for preventing basal cell carcinoma is less definitive, probably in part because these cancers often reflect ultraviolet damage accumulated over many decades. 

The public should therefore continue the time-honored practice of avoiding excessive ultraviolet exposure. Sunscreen should be used judiciously as one component of a comprehensive sun-protection strategy, not as permission to remain in the sun longer. Seek shade, wear protective clothing and a broad-brimmed hat, and apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen—preferably a mineral formulation containing zinc oxide—to exposed skin. When properly applied and reapplied, sunscreen reduces sunburn and ultraviolet injury and can help reduce the risk of actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinoma.