Researchers Question Sunscreen’s Effectiveness Against Skin Cancer

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Memphis concluded that sunscreen products may not be as effective in preventing skin cancer as previously thought. Results from the study were published in the February 2005 issue of Melanoma Research.

"People should not wear sunscreen and assume they're fully protected from melanoma," said UT Medical Group dermatologist and co-author Dr. E. William Rosenberg.

The researchers recommended that sunscreen product guidelines be revised to indicate that sunscreen should be used for sunburn protection, not cancer prevention.

Thomas M. Chiang, Ph.D. of the Memphis VA Medical Center and UT was the study’s primary investigator. To read more about the study, click here.