Next summer, the sunscreen aisle will look very different, as the FDA has established rules for sunscreen and guidelines to the claims and confusion that sun block bottles have been making. According to an article entitled, “New rules to cut confusion on sunscreen claims” by Tom Murphy, only bottles with SPF 15 or above and the label “broad spectrum” will be supported by the FDA as protecting people from an increased risk of cancer.
Currently, the claims that sunscreen bottles make apply to only ultraviolet B rays, which cause sunburn. Under the new rules, sunscreen will have to protect against the more penetrating ultraviolet A rays associated with skin cancer and be SPF 15 or higher. If not, they must carry a warning label stating: “This product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging.”
Ultraviolet A rays can penetrate glass and pose the greatest risk of skin cancer and premature aging. New sunscreen regulations require testing for these rays in addition to the ultraviolet B rays. The FDA will also prohibit sunscreen advertising with words like “waterproof” and “sweatproof,” which the agency said “are exaggerations of performance.” They are also considering phasing out the four-star system of rating UVA protection and capping the highest SPF number at 50, unless companies can provide results of further testing that support a higher number.
The term SPF indicates the amount of sun exposure needed to cause sunburn on sunscreen-protected skin compared with unprotected skin. Most dermatologists recommend a broad spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher every two hours while outside. The reason for all the attention being paid to sunscreen is the increasing cases of melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer, each year. Last year, an estimated 68,130 people in the U.S. were diagnosed with melanoma and an estimated 8,700 died, according to the National Cancer Institute. Nearly $2 billion is spent treating melanoma each year.
Melanoma survivor John Sisk, Sr. is lucky. He was diagnosed with stage four melanoma (which has spread to distant sites or organs) in 1997. His wife had noticed a mole that started having some appearance changes and suggested that they see a dermatologist. Sisk made an appointment with Dr. Rodney Susong, who agreed that these were not typical changes, removed the mole in the office, and ordered a biopsy.
Sisk says things changed fairly quickly when the biopsy came back as malignant. Susong referred him to a surgeon, Dr. Alvaro Valle, for further consultation.
“Dr. Valle didn’t pull any punches, and told my wife and me that this was a level four melanoma, that the survival outlook was grim, and the surgery was going to be extensive,” Sisk says. “We were caught off guard by something so small as a mole [that had] changed our entire course in life, and were prepared for a battle to survive.
The original surgery proposed included removal of the area around the mole on Sisk’s left side near his rib cage and also included removal of all of the lymph nodes in his left upper side. Yet, several miracles lined up in Sisk’s favor, he says.
Erlanger had just received a new machine that would be able to inject dye and show exactly where the cancer was located to see if it had spread into the lymph nodes. Sisk was one of the first people to take advantage of the equipment, which showed the lymph nodes in his side were not affected. The surgery was still very invasive, but successful, Sisk says.
“Through the excellent surgical care of Valle and the power of God, I have now survived 14 years past the six weeks they originally thought I might have,” Sisk says. “I still have regular check ups with Dr. Susong and am very vigilant about safe sun exposure.”
Research shows that melanoma can take roots in childhood sun exposure. Sisk says when he was growing up, there wasn’t information or sunscreen products available, and it’s more than likely his exposure to melanoma was due to many childhood sunburns. The experts at Melanoma.com recommend do-ing a skin self-exam every six to eight weeks.
Sisk strongly urges everyone to use sunscreen of SPF 30 or more and follow the application directions. He says to not depend on it to last all day, reapply as directed after swimming or if out for a prolonged time, know your moles and check them for any changes, and remember “ABCD” when doing skin self-exams. If there are changes in the asymmetry, border, color or diameter of a mole, a person should contact their physician as soon as possible. Sisk says, “If you are diagnosed, don’t give up hope. I credit great medical care along with the healing power of God for my survival.”