Possible Explanations for Rising Melanoma Rates Despite Increased Sunscreen Use over the Past Several Decades

Simple Summary A clear understanding of why the incidence of cutaneous melanoma continues to rise despite the increased use of sunscreens within the last several decades is lacking. Given how aggressive cutaneous melanoma can be, the aim of this communication is to better elucidate the relationship between sunscreen use and melanoma development and if there are other preventative measures to be aware of. We summarize some of the limitations of existing studies that investigated sunscreen use and melanoma development and highlight the importance of performing new studies that minimize such limitations to obtain more reliable results. This communication is intended to emphasize the importance of continued research not only to determine the most important factors contributing to increasing melanoma rates but also to establish clear guidelines and recommendations to reduce the risk of melanoma development.Abstract The incidence of cutaneous melanoma continues to rise despite the increased use of sunscreens within the last several decades. Some research even suggests that the use of sunscreen is associated with increased rates of melanoma. Given the aggressive, and often deadly, nature of cutaneous melanoma, the aim of this communication is to better elucidate the relationship between sunscreen use and melanoma development and if there are other preventative measures to be aware of. A search was performed to identify the studies that have investigated melanoma development in individuals who used sunscreen and those who did not. Study limitations and possible confounding variables were identified, which guided a subsequent search to determine what data were available to support that these limitations and confounding variables may explain the perplexing association between sunscreen use and melanoma development. Five hypotheses were generated, which were related to increased awareness and reporting, the relationship between sunscreen use and the duration of sun exposure, the importance of broad-spectrum protection, and the effect of sunscreen on reactive oxygen species formation. The main conclusion is that more recent studies that control for confounding variables are required to determine the true effect of adequate broad-spectrum sunscreen use today on the development of melanoma.