Melanoma/Skin Cancer Health Center

Tools & Resources

Font Size

Skin Cancer Prevention

Avoiding risk factors and increasing protective factors may help prevent cancer.

Avoiding cancerrisk factors such as smoking, being overweight, and lack of exercise may help prevent certain cancers. Increasing protective factors such as quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet, and exercising may also help prevent some cancers. Talk to your doctor or other health care professional about how you might lower your risk of cancer.

Being exposed to ultraviolet radiation is a risk factor that may increase the risk of skin cancer.

Studies suggest that being exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation and the sensitivity of a person's skin to UV radiation are risk factors for skin cancer. UV radiation is the name for the invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes from the sun. Sunlamps and tanning beds also give off UV radiation.

Risk factors for nonmelanoma and melanoma cancers are not the same:

Nonmelanoma skin cancer

Being exposed to natural sunlight or artificial sunlight (such as from tanning beds) over long periods of time.
Having a fair complexion, which includes the following:
- Fair skin that freckles and burns easily, does not tan, or tans poorly.
- Blue or green or other light-colored eyes.
- Red or blond hair.
Having actinic keratosis.
Past treatment with radiation.
Having a weakened immune system.
Being male.

Melanoma skin cancer

Having a fair complexion, which includes the following:
- Fair skin that freckles and burns easily, does not tan, or tans poorly.
- Blue or green or other light-colored eyes.
- Red or blond hair.
Being exposed to natural sunlight or artificial sunlight (such as from tanning beds) over long periods of time.
Having a history of many blistering sunburns as a child.
Having several large or many small moles.
Having a family history of unusual moles (atypical nevus syndrome).
Having a family or personal history of melanoma.
Being white and male.

It is not known if protecting skin from sunlight and other UV radiation decreases the risk of skin cancer.

It is not known if nonmelanoma skin cancer risk is decreased by staying out of the sun, using sunscreens, or wearing long sleeve shirts, long pants, sun hats, and sunglasses when outdoors.

Sunscreen may help decrease the amount of UV radiation to the skin. One study found that wearing sunscreen can help prevent actinic keratoses, scaly patches of skin that may become squamous cell carcinoma. However, the use of sunscreen has not been proven to lower the risk of melanoma skin cancer.

Although protecting the skin and eyes from the sun has not been proven to lower the chance of getting skin cancer, skin experts suggest the following:

Use sunscreen that protects against UV radiation.
Do not stay out in the sun for long periods of time, especially when the sun is at its strongest.
Wear long sleeve shirts, long pants, sun hats, and sunglasses, when outdoors.

1 | 2

Next Page >

WebMD Public Information from the National Cancer Institute

Last Updated: October 07, 2011

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.