Does Sunscreen Cause or Prevent Skin Cancer? [Video]

Decades ago, studies started bubbling up, reporting that not only was the use of sunscreen not found to be protective against skin cancer, but it was associated with significantly elevated risk. But, subsequent studies offered the obvious explanation of this paradox. People who use sunscreen are more likely to be sunbathers. That’s like finding that those who use motorcycle helmets are more likely to die on the highway. It’s not that sunscreen and helmets aren’t protective. It’s just that they are associated with engagement in risky activities. But you don’t know, until you put it to the test.

As I noted in my last video, randomized controlled trials have shown that regular use of sunscreen can arrest visible signs of skin aging, including biopsy-proven reductions in UV-related skin damage. But are there interventional trials proving sunscreen can prevent cancer? Yes.

Organ transplant recipients are highly susceptible to skin cancers because they …