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Sunscreens with sun protection factor 30 actually protect against the development of melanomas
For years medical experts advise that people should use sunscreen before they expose themselves to strong sunlight. Scientists now claim that the use of sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher can protect us from developing melanoma.
Physicians from the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center have now discovered in an investigation that sunscreen with an SPF of 30 (SPF 30) or more, delays the onset of melanoma. The researchers released the results of their new study at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting 2016.
Scientists found in an investigation that sunscreens with LSF30 can protect against developing melanomas. (Picture paultarasenko / fotolia.com) Melanoma incidence rate has steadily increased over the past forty years
In a study on mice, the scientists found that the use of sunscreen with the SPF 30 protects the animals from melanoma. In the past forty years, the rate of incidence of melanoma in the United States has steadily increased, says lead author Dr. Christin Burd of the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center. Sunscreens are known to help prevent sunburn when exposed to strong UV sunlight for long periods of time. Such irradiation also increases the human risk of developing melanoma, say the experts. So far, however, it has not been possible to test whether sun creams can actually prevent the development of melanoma, because they were usually examined on human volunteers or on artificial skin models.
Trying on mice brings new insights
Now, the researchers developed a model with mice, which gives the doctors the opportunity to test whether a sunscreen can not only prevent sunburn, but also affects the formation of melanoma. Hopefully, this new model could lead to a breakthrough in melanoma prevention, says dr. Burd. The application of sun protection factor 30 (SPF 30) sunscreen before ultraviolet-B (UVB) light irradiation actually delays the development of melanoma, adds the physician. In their experiment, 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4OHT) was applied to the skin of genetically modified mice. Thereafter, it took an average of 26 weeks for spontaneous melanoma to develop. Due to the applied 4OHT, melanomas developed much faster than normal and there were more tumors, explain the scientists.
Some sunscreens with SPF 30 actually have a higher protective effect
The researchers began using the mouse model to test various sunscreens with SPF 30 for their protective effect against melanoma. The sunscreens were applied before the mice were exposed to UVB light, the researchers say. Sunscreens generally delayed the onset of melanoma and reduced tumor incidence. However, there are some minor differences in melanoma prevention between the different SPF30 sunscreens, Dr. Burd. The researchers found that some sunscreens with SPF 30 actually had a higher sun protection factor. Therefore, it was difficult to compare the protective effect of each product, says the expert.
Further experiments should clarify the effect of individual ingredients
The dose, the UVB irradiation briefly used in the experiments, corresponds approximately to the UVB exposure to which a person is exposed to beach holidays for one week, explain the scientists. Sun creams are not designed to block all of the sun's rays for one week at a time. Burd. Scientists are now working to reduce the dose of UVB from the studies. Another limitation is that only UVB light was used. The mice were thus exposed to only a fraction of the total UV spectrum contained in sunlight, adds dr. Burd added. The researchers are now trying to instal a solar simulator that can produce all the wavelengths of sunlight. Further research will focus on using special sunscreen ingredients to find out which ones have the best protective properties, says the doctor. This information could then be used to make smarter sunscreens that help reduce the risk of skin cancer, adds dr. Burd added. (As)