Sunscreen Shields Cancer-Preventative Gene

While it is generally accepted that sunscreen helps to minimize burning, whether sunscreen helps to prevent skin cancers has been the subject of some debate. Elke Hacker, from the Queensland University of Technology (Australia), and colleagues have elucidated the molecular mechanism of sunscreen. The team confirmed previous findings that sunscreen protects against all three forms of skin cancer: BCC (basal cell carcinoma); SCC (squamous cell carcinoma); and malignant melanoma. Further, these researchers observed that sunscreen is effective at shielding the p53 gene, a gene that works to prevent cancer.