Is Sunscreen Dangerous? 4 Sun Protection Do's and Don'ts

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I am also a dermatologist...."follow the money?" I would love, love love to never have to treat another skin cancer! Skin cancer can be a very difficult diagnosis and course for many patients. Having to tell a patient that their melanoma is advanced and that even with the best care and follow-up they have a 50% chance of living 5 years is very hard...being that patient is much harder. Even if the diagnosis is a non-melanoma skin cancer the scarring from surgical removal can be very significant and disfiguring.
If I wanted to make money off people having skin cancer I would invest in tanning booths and encourage patients NOT to wear sunscreen. Have you ever seen a tan dermatologist? We practice what we preach because we believe that sunscreen and sun avoidance are the best behaviors to prevent skin cancer.
I talk to many dermatologists who feel the same way...there is plenty of other conditions for us to treat. We would love if there was no skin cancer. And so would our patients.

trisha dexter of MI 9:20AM May 26, 2010

If the incidence of skin cancers were reduced, Henry W. Lim, chairman of dermatology at Henry Ford Hospital would have to flip burgers for a living.
Cui bono: who benefits from an increase in skin cancer? Follow the money.

Rich Campbell of CA 2:50AM May 26, 2010

!!!- "It's dangerous to apply a finding in mice to humans,"
Then why do they have to kill billions of the poor creatures every year in meaningless experiments!!!

ebw of MN 11:33PM May 25, 2010