New UV culprit identified

[DBAHO]

SUNSCREENS may need to be completely reformulated after Australian researchers discovered the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn are not responsible for skin cancer.

 

The Sydney University team found UVA rays - which do not visibly burn the skin - penetrate more deeply and do more harm than UVB rays, which are responsible for sunburn and have until now been considered the main cause of skin cancer.

 

Dermatology Professor Gary Halliday said the finding by his team could lead to a complete overhaul of sunscreens, which currently protect more against UVB than UVA.

 

"Our data indicates that we need to develop products that can protect from UVA as well as they protect from UVB," Prof Halliday said.

 

"I hope it's going to change the emphasis on to UVA." The discovery also could have dire consequences for tanning salons, seen as a popular alternative to baking in the sun.

 

"Tanning salons primarily irradiate people with UVA, which I think is very dangerous," Prof Halliday said.

 

UVA has long been known to cause wrinkles and ageing to skin, but has thus far been considered less dangerous than UVB, which has been blamed for causing skin cancer in studies with mice.

 

Prof Halliday and colleagues studied the types of mutations in non-melanoma human skin cancers.

 

"We found there were a lot more UVA mutations in human skin cancers than UVB-induced mutations, and this has never been shown before," Prof Halliday said.

 

"Plus, the cells at the base of a tumour, which are the cells which form the tumour, only had UVA mutations in them, no UVB mutations."

 

Covering up or staying out of the sun remained the best protection against skin cancer, Prof Halliday said.

 

The Melanoma and Skin Cancer Research Institute has received NSW Cancer Council funding to further the research, he said.