Reduced Melanoma After Regular Sunscreen Use: Randomized Trial Follow-Up
- Study type
- Clinical trial
- Study name
- Nambour Sunscreen Trial
- Design
- Randomised trial (factorial design with sunscreen and beta-carotene/placebo) with long-term follow-up
- Sample size
- 1,621 people
- Source
- JCO · 2011
In plain words
In this study in Australia, more than 1,600 people were split into two groups: one group applied sunscreen every day, and the other used sunscreen whenever they chose. After about ten years of follow-up, there were fewer melanomas in the daily-sunscreen group, especially invasive melanomas. The results suggest that regular sunscreen use may help prevent melanoma, although the reduction in total cases was only borderline in statistical terms.
Key results
Treatment arms and regimens
Daily application of sunscreen to the head and arms from 1992 to 1996, with beta-carotene 30 mg supplement or placebo (randomly assigned).
Discretionary use of sunscreen on the head and arms from 1992 to 1996, with beta-carotene 30 mg supplement or placebo (randomly assigned).
Source of the regimen details: Abstract of the paper (intervention: daily or discretionary sunscreen and beta-carotene 30 mg supplement or placebo, 1992 to 1996)
Doses are given for the information of specialists, as in this study’s protocol, and are not a prescription. Every drug must be prescribed by the treating physician for the individual patient.
Study population
1,621 randomly selected residents of the township of Nambour in Queensland, Australia, aged 25 to 75 years.
Endpoints
Incidence of new primary cutaneous melanoma (confirmed by questionnaire and/or through pathology laboratories and the cancer registry) up to 2006, including invasive and preinvasive melanoma.
Safety and side effects
No safety or adverse event data are reported in the abstract.
Clinical significance and place in guidelines
This study is among the first randomised evidence that regular sunscreen use in adults may reduce melanoma risk. According to the abstract, the result for all melanomas was of borderline statistical significance (P = 0.051), and the greater reduction was seen in invasive melanomas. Guideline recommendation status should be checked separately.
Limitations
The total number of melanoma events was small (33), and the confidence interval for the main result included 1 (P = 0.051). The comparison was with a discretionary-use group, not a no-sunscreen group. Part of the follow-up was by questionnaire. Other limitations should be checked in the full text.
This summary was prepared by the editorial team from the published paper; the original paper is the final reference. Read the original abstract on PubMed.