We all know that getting sunburnt increases the risk of skin cancer.
But new research suggests just five days of excessive sun exposure can dramatically increase a woman’s risk of developing the most dangerous form of the disease.
U.S. researchers found getting so sunburnt that blisters develop just five times before the age of 20 increases a woman’s risk of melanoma by 80 per cent.
Women who get badly sunburnt just five times between the ages of 15 and 20 are 80% more likely to develop melanoma - the most dangerous type of skin cancer
Dr Abrar Qureshi, of Brown University and the Rhode Island Hospital, said: ‘Our results suggest that sun exposures in both early life and adulthood were predictive of non-melanoma skin cancers, whereas melanoma risk was predominantly associated with sun exposure in early life in a cohort of young women.’
Dr Qureshi and his team followed 109,000 Caucasian nurses for 20 years.
They found those who had at least five blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 were 68 per cent more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
These are both less aggressive forms of skin cancer.
However, they were also 80 per cent more likely to develop melanoma – the most aggressive form of the disease.
The study participants who were exposed to the highest levels of UV radiation in adulthood were at no increased risk of melanoma - but they were more likely to develop other forms of skin cancer.
Women who get burned as teenagers are also 68 per cent more likely to develop less aggressive skin cancers
‘An individual’s risk of developing skin cancer depends on both host and environmental risk factors,' said Dr Qureshi.
He explained that people at high risk - such as those with red hair, a higher number of moles and prone to getting burnt 'should pay more attention to avoid excessive sun exposure, especially early in life'.
Those involved in the research were from the Nurses’ Health Study II. At the time of registration they were between the ages of 25 and 42 and lived in 14 different states.
High levels of UV exposure in adulthood do not increase a person's risk of melanoma (pictured) but it does increase their risk of other types of skin cancer
At registration, the participants responded to a questionnaire about their medical histories and potential risk factors for skin cancers, including number of moles on legs, number of blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20, and family history of melanoma.
Updated health information was collected every two years for about 20 years.
During this time, participants answered additional questions related to skin cancer risk, including updated family history, tanning bed use, smoking and alcohol consumption habits, and body mass index.
The researchers took into account the duration participants spent living at different locations in the U.S. during follow-up to calculate the cumulative UV exposure for each individual, and then grouped the participants under three categories of UV exposure - low, medium, and high.
About 24 per cent of the participants had experienced painful blisters as a child or adolescent, about 10 per cent had more than five blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20, and about 24 per cent had used tanning beds.
Of the study participants, 6,955 were diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma, 880 were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the skin, and 779 were diagnosed with melanoma. Of those with melanoma, 445 had invasive cancer - where the cancer has grown deep into the skin and may spread.
Dr Qureshi found a strong relationship between cumulative UV exposure and risk for squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma of the skin, but no such association was seen for melanoma.
Those who had at least five blistering sunburns between ages 15 and 20 had increased likelihood for developing any of the three types of skin cancers, but the greatest risk was for developing melanoma.
‘Parents may need to be advised to pay more attention to protection from early-life sun exposure for their kids in order to reduce the likelihood of developing melanoma as they grow up,’ said Dr Qureshi. ‘Older individuals should also be cautious with their sun exposure, because cumulative sun exposure increases skin cancer risk as well.’
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2646101/Women-badly-sunburned-just-FIVE-times-teenagers-80-likely-develop-dangerous-type-skin-cancer.html#ixzz33WSkWQQC
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