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Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 | 3 | Next >> Most skin cancers form in older people, on parts of their bodies that have experienced more exposure to the sun, or in people who have weakened immune systems.
The most deadly form of skin cancer is melanoma, which forms in the skin cells that make the pigment melanin -- often as a mole. The National Cancer Institute estimates there will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma in the United States in 2008, and about 8,420 deaths caused by the disease. By comparison, there will be more than 1 million new cases of non-melanoma skin cancers in 2008, with fewer than 1,000 deaths.
Experts recommend a multiple approach to protecting yourself against harmful rays.
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"The American Cancer Society has a slogan -- 'Slip, Slop, Slap,' " Weinstock said. "Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat."
But Kristan Markey, a research analyst with the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that works to protect public health and the environment, said the effectiveness of sunscreens isn't as strong as one might think.
"We found that most sunscreens are not effective in filtering out ultraviolet radiation or have problems with toxic hazards," Markey said.
Not only do many sunscreens fail to protect against UV radiation, but they also break down over normal usage and develop toxic components, the group's study found.
Markey noted that sunscreen makers also make claims that can't stand up to the light of day. For example, even sunscreens that boast "all-day protection" must be regularly reapplied to avoid skin damage, he said.
"You can't say 'all-day protection,' because the recommendation is you have to reapply every two hours," Markey said. "It's still very much the wild west in the industry."
The FDA's recommended new rules for sunscreens would assign a star rating system -- from one to four stars -- to gauge the lotions' effectiveness in blocking UVA rays. Ratings for UVA would be based on two tests, one to measure the sunscreen's ability to reduce the amount of UVA radiation passing through it, and a second to measure the product's ability to prevent tanning and potential long-term skin damage.
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