The efficacy and safety of sunscreen use for the prevention of skin cancer
Cette étude fait le point sur l'efficacité des crèmes solaires pour la prévention des cancers de la peau mais également sur leurs inconvénients, notamment leur impact environnemental
In Canada, more than 80 000 cases of skin cancer are diagnosed every year. Because exposure to ultraviolet radiation is estimated to be associated with 80%–90% of skin cancers, the use of sunscreen — which blocks ultraviolet radiation — is promoted as an important means of preventing skin cancers as well as sunburn and skin photoaging (see definitions in Appendix 1, available at www.cmaj.ca/lookup/doi/10.1503/cmaj.201085/tab-related-content). Use of sunscreen has been shown to reduce the incidence of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancers. Both the Canadian Dermatology Association and the American Academy of Dermatology recommend the use of sunscreen for the prevention of skin cancer. Yet, since the development of the first commercial sunscreen in 1928, questions regarding the safety and efficacy of sunscreen have been raised, and more recently, the impact of sunscreens on the environment has become a cause for concern. We summarize evidence related to the effectiveness and harms of sunscreen to help physicians counsel their patients.