I recently read an article that said that melanomas are not directly linked to the sun. It states that melanomas are eften found in places that recieve no sun at all. Japan has an occurance of skin cancer and there is little sun bathing there.

This might be a crazy theory, but is it possible that skin cancer may not be linked to the sun as much as we think it is? We get cancer in parts of our body that have nothing to do with the sun, the cells just begin to grow irregularly. It seems as if it may be possible for something to go wrong in the cells of our skin, thus causing cancer, maybe the sun isnt always the cause. It is in the interest of skin care companies and to push the idea the sunburn=cancer. Out of this fear people will run to the store to get skin protection products. If they came out with news that the sun isnt linked to cancer as much as we thought it was, the skin care companies would lose a lot of money. It is obvious that too much sun over your lifletime will make your skin unsightly, but does too much sun equal cancer? maybe it doesnt.

... but does too much sun equal cancer? maybe it doesnt.

I saw that story, too. It's just one doctor, he is selling a book, and he does agree that sunburns cause skin cancer.

He's just saying that moderate exposure is healthy and that the cancer warnings have gone too far, so that people are scared to get any sun at all.

Hello
I'm living proof of getting melanoma where the sun don't shine! I had it on my inner thigh which was never exposed to the sun. There's also an increased incidence of melanoma in transplant patients, thought to be caused by steroid therapy. There's a heredity/genetic link too. Melanomas can appear under the nails, on the genitalia, soles of the feet, even inside the eye, so I'm well & truly convinced that the sun isn't the only cause. Having said that though, I'm sure the sun is the biggest cause of skin cancer throughout the world.

Lidia :)

I think the sun increases the probability of getting skin cancer. But it's not the only cause. 80% to 90% of the people who get cirrhosis of the liver are drinkers. That leaves 10% to 20% who never drink and still get it. Same with lung cancer and smoking. I have skin cancer but it will not keep me from enjoying the outside. I do wear sunscreen and a hat. I am waiting for the day they come out and say the active ingredient in sunscreen causes cancer.

I am waiting for the day they come out and say the active ingredient in sunscreen causes cancer.

Rick, it looks like they already have.......... :(

'Most chemical sunscreens contain from 2 to 5% of benzophenone or its derivatives (oxybenzone, benzophenone-3) as their active ingredient. Benzophenone is one of the most powerful free radical generators known to man. It is used in industrial processes to initiate chemical reactions and promote cross-linking(15). Benzophenone is activated by ultraviolet light. The absorbed energy breaks benzophenone's double bond to produce two free radical sites. The free radicals desperately look for a hydrogen atom to make them "feel whole again"(15). They may find this hydrogen atom among the other ingredients of the sunscreen, but it is conceivable that they could also find it on the surface of the skin and thereby initiate a chain reaction which could ultimately lead to melanoma and other skin cancers.'

Lidia
:)