Skin Cancer Issues & Research

While genetics and family history also play a role, a pattern of unprotected sun exposure is a factor in the majority of melanoma cases. It’s estimated that 86 percent of all melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

More Information: Having five sunburns in your lifetime has been shown to double your risk of developing melanoma.

Related Reading and Evidence-Based Research Studies:

Parkin DM, Mesher D, Sasieni P. Cancers attributable to solar (ultraviolet) radiation exposure in the UK in 2010. Br J Cancer 2011; 105:566-69.

Pleasance ED, Cheetham RK, Stephens PJ, et al. A comprehensive catalogue of somatic mutations from a human cancer genome. Nature 2010; 463:191-96.

Chang YM, Barrett JH, Bishop DT, et al. Sun exposure and melanoma risk at different latitudes: a pooled analysis of 5700 cases and 7216 controls. Int J Epidemiol 2009; 38(3):814-30. Epub 2009 Apr 8.

Gandini S, Sera F, Cattaruzza MS, et al. Meta-analysis of risk factors for cutaneous melanoma: II. sun exposure. Eur J Cancer 2005; 41(1):45-60.

Pfahlberg A, Kolmel KF, Gefeller O. Timing of excessive ultraviolet radiation and melanoma: epidemiology does not support the existence of a critical period of high susceptibility to solar ultraviolet radiation-induced melanoma. Brit J Dermatol 2001; 144:3:471.

Lew RA, Sober AJ, Cook N, Marvell R, Fitzpatrick TB. Sun exposure habits in patients with cutaneous melanoma: a case study. J Dermatol Surg Onc 1983; 12:981-6.

Studies offer abundant evidence that indoor tanning bed use increases the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Any statement that implies that tanning beds are safe puts lives in danger.

More Information: The International Agency for Research on Cancer, affiliated with the World Health Organization, has determined that UV radiation-emitting tanning devices are cancer-causing in humans. Research available today has shown that those who begin indoor tanning before age 35 increase their risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent. Another study found that more people develop skin cancer from indoor tanning than lung cancer from smoking.

Related Reading and Evidence-Based Research Studies:

Boniol M, Autier P, Boyle P, Gandini S. Cutaneous melanoma attributable to sunbed use: systematic review and meta-analysis. Brit Med J 2012; 345:e4757. Doi: 10.1136/bmj.e4757.

Zhang M, Qureshi AA, Geller AC, Frazier L, Hunter DJ, Han J. Use of tanning beds and incidence of skin cancer. J Clin Oncol 2012; 30(14):1588-93.

National Toxicology Program. Report on Carcinogens, Twelfth Edition. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Toxicology Program. 2011: 429-430. Accessed February 12, 2012.

Cust AE, Armstrong BK, Goumas C, et al. Sunbed use during adolescence and early adulthood is associated with increased risk of early-onset melanoma. Int J Cancer 2011; 128(10):2425-35. doi: 10.1002/ijc.25576.

Ferrucci LM, Cartmel B, Molinaro AM, Leffell DJ, Bale AE, Mayne ST. Indoor tanning and risk of early-onset basal cell carcinoma. Journal of American Academy of Dermatology. 2011.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer Working Group. The association of use of sunbeds with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancers: a systematic review. Int J Canc 2006; 120:1116-1122.

World Health Organization. Sunbeds, tanning and UV exposure Fact sheet N°287. Interim revision April 2010. Accessed Oct 7, 2011.

El Ghissassi F, Baan R, Straif K, et al. WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group. A review of human carcinogens–part D: radiation. Lancet Oncol 2009; 10(8):751-2.

Karagas MR, Stannard VA, Mott LA, Slattery MJ, Spencer SK, Weinstock MA. Use of tanning devices and risk of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers. J Natl Cancer Inst 2002; 94:224. doi:10.1093/jnci/94.3.224.

Swerdlow AJ, Weinstock, MA. Do tanning lamps cause melanoma? An epidemiologic assessment. JAM Acad Derm 1998; 38(1):89-98.

While The Skin Cancer Foundation applauds the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for taking the important step to reclassify ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices from class I (low to moderate risk) to class II (moderate to high risk) devices, which was a major advancement in skin cancer prevention, the organization is disappointed that it withdrew its 2015 proposed rule that would have banned the use of tanning beds by minors

 

More Information: On May 29, 2014, the FDA issued a final order to reclassify ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices from class I (low to moderate risk) to class II (moderate to high risk). In addition, the FDA now requires warning labels on these tanning devices, noting that they should not be used on persons under the age of 18.

 

In March 2026, the FDA withdrew its 2015 proposed rule “General and Plastic Surgery Devices: Restricted Sale, Distribution, and Use of Sunlamp Products.” This proposed rule contained three restrictions that would have been helpful to Americans:

 

1. Restrict the use of sunlamp products to individuals age 18 and older.
2. Require adults to sign a risk acknowledgement certification within the last six months before using sunlamp product.
3. Require tanning facility operators to provide a sunlamp product’s user manual to users or prospective users of sunlamp products upon request.

 

Related Reading and Evidence-Based Research Studies:

Cust AE, Armstrong BK, Goumas C, et al. Sunbed use during adolescence and early adulthood is associated with increased risk of early-onset melanoma. Int J Cancer 2011 May 1; 128(10):2425-35. doi: 10.1002/ijc.25576

Lazovich D, Vogel RI, Berwick M, Weinstock MA, Anderson KE, Warshaw EM. Indoor tanning and risk of melanoma: a case-control study in a highly exposed population. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2010 Jun; 19(6):1557-68. Epub 2010 May 26.

El Ghissassi F, Baan R, Straif K, et al. WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer Monograph Working Group. A review of human carcinogens–part D: radiation. Lancet Oncol 2009 Aug; 10(8):751-2.

Karagas MR, Stannard VA, Mott LA, Slattery MJ, Spencer SK, Weinstock MA. Use of tanning devices and risk of basal cell and squamous cell skin cancers.J Natl Cancer Inst 2002; 94:224; doi:10.1093/jnci/94.3.224.

Swerdlow AJ, Weinstock, MA. Do tanning lamps cause melanoma? An epidemiologic assessment. J Am Acad Derm 1998 Jan; 38(1):89-98.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Report on Carcinogens twelfth edition, 2011. p.429-434. http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/roc/twelfth/profiles/UltravioletRadiationRelatedExposures.pdf. Accessed Oct 7, 2011.

World Health Organization. Sunbeds, tanning and UV exposure Fact sheet N°287.
Interim revision April 2010. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs287/en/. Accessed Oct 7, 2011.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer Working Group. The association of use of sunbeds with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancers: a systematic review. https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2013-10982.pdf?1367872029  Int J Canc 2006; 120:1116-1122.

General and Plastic Surgery Devices: Restricted Sale, Distribution, and Use of Sunlamp Products; Withdrawal of Proposed Rule: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/16/2026-05103/general-and-plastic-surgery-devices-restricted-sale-distribution-and-use-of-sunlamp-products

Landmark research has provided evidence that sunscreen use can help prevent melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The Skin Cancer Foundation considers sunscreen one vital part of a comprehensive sun safety strategy — along with seeking shade and covering up with clothing, wide-brimmed hats and UV-blocking sunglasses.

More Information: For years, there has been strong evidence that daily sunscreen use plays a role in lowering the risk of actinic keratosis, the most common skin precancer, and squamous cell carcinoma. In 2011, a rigorous study of more than 1,600 adults over the course of a decade found that daily sunscreen use also plays a role in melanoma prevention. The researchers determined that subjects who applied sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher daily reduced their risk of melanoma by 50 percent.

Related Reading and Evidence-Based Research Studies:

Green AC, Williams GM, Logan V, Strutton GM. Reduced melanoma after regular sunscreen use: randomized trial follow-up.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21135266/  J Clin Oncol 2011; 29(3):257-63.

Green AC, Williams GM. Point: sunscreen use is a safe and effective approach to skin cancer prevention. Cancer Epidem Biomar Prev 2007; 16(10):1921-22.

van der Pols JC, Williams GM, Pandeya N, Logan V, Green AC. Prolonged prevention of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin by regular sunscreen use. Cancer Epidemiol Biomar Prev 2006; 15(12):2546-8. Epub 2006 Nov 28.

Green A, Williams G, Neale R, et al. Daily sunscreen application and betacarotene supplementation in prevention of basal-cell and squamous-cell carcinomas of the skin: a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 1999; 354(9180):723-9.

Jolley D, Marks R, Thompson SC. Reduction of Solar Keratoses by Regular Sunscreen Use.  https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8377777/ New England Journal of Medicine 1993.

There is no science-based evidence that proves that using sunscreens with ingredients approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) presents serious harm to human health. Rather, the evidence shows that people face substantial risk of developing skin cancer during their lifetime due to unprotected ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure and that sunscreen can help reduce this risk. 

More Information: In February 2019, the FDA issued a proposed rule that updated regulatory requirements for sunscreens. Of the 17 marketed active ingredients at that time, zinc oxide and titanium dioxide were generally recognized as safe and effective (GRASE) for use in sunscreens. (This GRASE list now also includes bemotrizinol, since its June 2026 FDA approval.) PABA and trolamine salicylate were deemed NOT GRASE for use in sunscreens due to safety issues, and in September 2026, these two ingredients were officially removed from the Over-the-Counter Monograph M020.

The FDA announced that there was insufficient safety data for sunscreen absorbed above a certain threshold (0.5ng/ml) to make a positive GRASE determination on the remaining 12 ingredients. To address this, the FDA asked industry and other interested parties for additional data. The FDA itself pointed out that its “request for more data about these ingredients doesn’t mean the agency believes these products are ineffective or unsafe, or that these products should be removed from the marketplace.”

The FDA then published two studies, one in May 2019 and the other in January 2020, showing evidence that certain sunscreen ingredients are absorbed into the body in amounts that exceed the threshold for absorption. But in an editorial accompanying the research, the study authors note: “It is critical to recognize that these two studies conducted by the FDA do not provide any evidence that chemical sunscreens cause harm.”

Related Reading and Evidence-Based Research Studies:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use; Proposal to Amend and Lift Stay on Monograph Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis. https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/economic-impact-analyses-fda-regulations/sunscreen-drug-products-over-counter-human-use-proposal-amend-and-lift-stay-monograph-preliminary#:~:text=The%20rule%20would%20update%20sunscreen,observations%20in%20final%20formulation%20testing.

U.S. Food and Drug Administation. Final Order | Order Number OTC000039. Order Title: Amending Over-the-Counter Monograph M020: Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use, and Related Information.  https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/omuf/index.cfm?event=OrderDetail&orderid=OTC000039

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Final Administrative Order OTC000008 – 11 Amending Over-the-Counter Monograph M020:  Sunscreen Drug Products for Over-the-Counter Human Use, and Related Information; Aminobenzoic Acid (PABA) and Trolamine Salicylate.  https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/omuf/Order/FinalAdministrativeOrderOTC000008-PABATrolamine.pdf

Innovation in U.S. sunscreen formulation can provide the American public with more choices for sun protection, similar to the sunscreen innovation we see happening globally, which could potentially lead to a decrease in the incidence of skin cancer.

More Information: The Skin Cancer Foundation supported the federal Sunscreen Innovation Act (SIA), which was passed in 2014. The intention of SIA was to encourage the FDA to improve its processes for reviewing new sunscreen ingredients.

The Skin Cancer Foundation also supported the signing into law of the SAFE Sunscreen Standards Act (H.R. 3686/S. 2491) as part of the reauthorization of the Over-the-Counter Monograph User Fee Act (OMUFA) in November 2025. This bipartisan legislation, co-sponsored by Reps. Joyce (R-PA), Dingell (D-MI), Ross (D-NC) and Joyce (R-OH), as well as Sens. Marshall (R-KS) and Hassan (D-NH), is a step forward in the fight against skin cancer because it calls for modernizing how sunscreen ingredients are reviewed and approved in the United States.

Related Reading and Evidence-Based Research Studies:

U.S. Congress. An Act 128 STAT. 2035 To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide an alternative process for review of safety and effectiveness of nonprescription sunscreen active ingredients and for other purposes. https://www.congress.gov/113/plaws/publ195/PLAW-113publ195.pdf

U.S. Congress. A BILL To amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to improve the regulatory review process to determine the safety and effectiveness of nonprescription sunscreen active ingredients, and for other purposes. https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/hr3686/BILLS-119hr3686ih.pdf