Sunscreens inadequate as cancer defense, study finds

Americans will spend more than $1.1 billion on sun protection products this year, a market that's grown by an annual rate of 10 percent since 2004.

But is it worth it?

A recent study from the Environmental Working Group, an eco-advocacy research organization based in Washington, D.C., found that 4 out of 5 sunscreens offer inadequate protection against harmful rays or could contain harmful chemicals.

While most of these products do help against sunburn, the question of skin cancer is more troubling. Our increasing efforts to slather on the sunscreen have had little effect on the prevalence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

If anything, the rate of contracting skin cancer is holding steady. Among

young white American women, in fact, it's actually trending up, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Many medical experts are starting to question the efficacy of sunscreen in fighting cancer, despite protests from the cosmetics industry.

"There is no evidence that sunscreens work against melanoma," said Dr. Marianne Berwick, a melanoma specialist who heads the division of epidemiology at the University of New Mexico.

John Baily, chief scientist at the Personal Care Products Council, a trade association for the cosmetic and personal-care products industry, defends the industry's testing methods.

"These materials are tested in a number of ways in animal studies, but also in clinical studies, before being approved," Baily said. "I think that (the Environmental Working Group) is being very selective in the criteria they use to categorize these products. They are taking studies that may be conducted in the laboratory, not on humans, and extrapolate that to say that these products are unsafe and should be avoided."

But when pressed on the cancer question, Baily said: "Scientifically, I cannot say that sunscreens protect against melanoma."

Several scientists actually warn that wearing sunscreen can give users a false sense of security, leading consumers to stay out in the sun longer. "It is a natural experiment that has been going on for 40 years," said Edward Gorham, an assistant professor at Moores Cancer Center at the University of California, San Diego.

Why doesn't a sunscreen that keeps you from getting burned possibly keep you from getting cancer?