Sunscreen can protect you from the most dangerous skin cancers
The results of a new study show that it is possible to reduce the risk of skin cancer by applying sunscreen with an SPF of 30.
According to the study, the results of which were presented at the American Association for Cancer Research conference, it was possible to reach these results by applying sunscreen cream to laboratory-engineered mice.
"Sunscreen is known to protect the skin from burns when exposed to ultraviolet rays, which in turn is a risk factor for skin cancer," said lead researcher Dr. Christin Burd.
Dr. Bard added, "Earlier, it was not possible to examine the effect of using sunscreen in protecting against skin cancer, because these creams are cosmetic materials and are difficult to examine on humans or artificial skin models."
So the researchers worked on developing a genetically modified laboratory mouse model to reveal the benefits of using sunscreen.
How did the study go?
The researchers exposed these mice to ultraviolet rays, which are considered the cause of burns, as these rays destroy the thin outer layer of the skin.
And they noticed that after they applied the chemical 4-hydroxytamoxifen (4OHT) to mice and exposed them to ultraviolet rays for only one day, the development of skin cancer growth accelerated dramatically so that the survival rate from the disease decreased by about 80% in just five weeks.
The researchers then applied an SPF 30 sunscreen, which contains several UV blockers, before exposing the mice to UV rays.
The researchers found that a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 was able to delay the incidence of skin cancer and reduce the risk of the development and growth of tumors, and the researcher Bard said: “Although we used sunscreens with a protection factor of 30, some of them were not as claimed. The sun protection factor was much lower.
The researchers explained that one of the obstacles they faced was the short period of time that mice were exposed to ultraviolet rays, while in real life people are exposed to sunlight for long times, which exposes them more to developing skin cancer.