Norman E. Sharpless Discusses Sunscreen and Melanoma

Norman E. Sharpless, MD, Professor of Medicine & Genetics Chair, The Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses a recent study that evaluated sunscreen’s effectiveness in reducing melanoma risk.

Sharpless says that while most doctors tell their patients to wear sunscreen to prevent skin cancer, there is actually very little data on the correlation between sunscreen and melanoma. This is because a randomized trial on humans could not be done. However, in a recent study using mice, it was concluded that sunscreen could, in fact, help guard against melanoma. However, different products had different results, despite them all being SPF 30, proving that not all sunscreens are created equal.