Everyone is at risk to develop skin cancer. Recent publication of new research has raised concern about those of us who spend a great deal of our time outside in the sun for fun or work. Dr. Darrell Rigel of New York University looked at a select group of adults with out door summer jobs three years in a row.

Risk factors that the study identified were:

1. An outdoor summer job.
2. History of blistering sunburn
3. Having naturally red or blond hair
4. Freckling of the upper back
5. Personal history of previous melanoma
6. History of actinic keratosis

The study participants were 18 to 70 years of age, a good sampling across a broad range. Having fair skin or a past history of two or more episodes of blistering sunburn confirm our previous understanding of how those innocent events lead to greater risk of skin cancer. Actinic keratosis is a form of sun damaged skin that can be a precancerous condition. The skin remembers or accumulates sun damage over a lifetime in many small installments. The average lifetime risk of developing a melanoma is relatively low at 1.5%.

Having even one of these risk factors increased the odds by more than twice to 3-5%. Dr Rigel’s study actually looked at over 40 risk factors but these six were the only ones that correlated closely with more frequent skin cancer. An interesting note is that age alone without a history of excessive sun exposure was not a risk factor. Editorial comments by Dr Rigel summarized that the real risks are simply “genetic susceptibility and exposure to ultraviolet light”.

These findings emphasize the need for preventive measures when spending time outdoors. Liberal and frequent use of sunscreens and appropriate clothing to minimize the damaging effects of excessive sun exposure is critical. In the future there may be other more sophisticated ways to decrease our susceptibility. For now basic common sense and consistent use of inexpensive tools like sunscreens and sun block can make the difference in a life free of skin cancer.

There is a vaccine that has been approved to prevent infection with the human papillomavirus virus (HPV). HPV is known to cause most cases of cervical cancer. There is also a vaccine that prevents infection with the hepatitis B virus. The hepatitis B virus is known to cause many cases of liver cancer.

There are more than 300 types of cancer, and so far we have only two vaccines; but it is a start. For years, the treatment of cancer (after the fact, so to speak) was the focus of most research, and there has been a lot of progress in treating cancer with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The credit for every bit of the progress that has been made in cancer treatment goes to researchers and scientists who dedicate their lives to learning more and finding new treatments. This progress was made in laboratories as well through clinical trials of new drugs and new procedures. Now the focus has broadened to include the idea of prevention through the use of vaccines.

Researchers and scientists have learned a lot more over the years about how the body fights cancer on its own. The body has a built-in defense system that is called the immune system. The human immune system is really amazing. It’s a network of specialized tissues and cells that fight disease. The idea of vaccines to prevent diseases of all kinds is to make use of the body’s natural defense system – the immune system. Vaccines are called “biological” therapies – a kind of germ warfare to prevent diseases in the human body.

Vaccines for cancer will be developed in laboratories and through clinical trials just like treatments have been developed. There isn’t likely to be an announcement on the evening news that a vaccine has been developed that totally prevents all kinds of cancer, but the researchers are out there looking for it. Maybe someday…