a generic blog
Friday, June 16, 2006
Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection - Yahoo! News
Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection - Yahoo! News
Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Thu Jun 15, 6:06 PM ET
Think slathering on the highest-number sunscreen at the beach or pool will spare you skin cancer and premature wrinkles? Probably not, if you're in the sun a lot.
That's because you don't need a sunburn to suffer the effects that can cause various types of skin cancer.
Sunscreens generally do a good job filtering out the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn — UVB rays. But with sunburn protection, many people get a false sense of security that keeps them under the harsh sun much longer. That adds to the risk of eventual skin cancer — both deadly melanoma and the more common and less-threatening basal and squamous cell cancers.
And most sunscreens don't defend nearly as well against the UVA rays that penetrate deep into the skin and are more likely to cause skin cancer and wrinkles. That's true even for some products labeled "broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection."
Experts say the best protection against UVA is a sunscreen that includes zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone. Consumers should also look for those that are water-resistant and have an SPF of 30 or better, indicating strong protection against UVB rays, and apply liberally and often.
More important, limit time in the sun, particularly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cover up, including wearing a hat and sunglasses.
Often, product labels are confusing or bear misleading claims. For example, the SPF, or sun protection factor, refers only to defense against the less harmful UVB rays.
"I don't think people understand they're only getting protection from part of the spectrum," said Dr. Sandra Read, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dermatology. "You're accumulating this damage and you don't know it."
Many sunscreens say little about when to reapply — doctors say at least every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Nor do they say much about how much to use, roughly two tablespoons for an adult.
"Most people who use an SPF 15 get the protection equivalent to an SPF 5 because they put it on" too thinly, said Dr. Martin A. Weinstock, chairman of the
American Cancer Society's skin cancer advisory group and a Brown University professor.
While a higher SPF number means more protection, the difference is small: SPF 15 blocks about 93 percent of UVB rays and SPF 50, often more expensive, blocks about 98 percent.
Most sunscreens work by reacting chemically with the skin, so they don't start absorbing damaging rays right away and must be applied a half-hour before going outside, something many labels fail to note.
And claims such as "waterproof" and "sunblock" are unsupported, according to the
Food and Drug Administration, which years ago proposed replacing them with the more-accurate terms "water resistant" and "sunscreen." Manufacturers, including Neutrogena Suncare maker Johnson & Johnson and Coppertone maker Schering-Plough Corp., say they haven't complied because the FDA still hasn't imposed those rules — a delay that's spawned consumer lawsuits and pressure on the FDA from Congress and the American Cancer Society.
Still, doctors say people shouldn't abandon sunscreen: They probably should use more.
"Sunscreens do protect against skin cancer," said Dr. Babar Rao, a dermatologist at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. "We definitely still need sunscreen, even on a cloudy day."
Research has shown heavy sunscreen use lowers risk of squamous skin cell cancer, which has a high cure rate if caught early. Another study found heavy sunscreen use in children reduces the number of moles, which can turn cancerous later, Weinstock noted.
In 1999, the FDA announced tougher rules for sunscreen testing and label and ad claims, to take effect in 2001. But the agency put them on hold indefinitely to do more tests, said Dr. Matthew Holman, senior scientist at the FDA's drug evaluation center.
Last fall, Congress ordered the FDA to produce the new regulations within six months through a provision added by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., in the FDA appropriations bill.
"Twenty years is long enough for the FDA to ensure that all Americans have equal access to clear, accurate and comprehensive sunscreen labeling as their first line of defense against skin cancer," Dodd said, referring to how long the agency has worked on new rules.
Holman said proposed rules could be announced this summer, but then there will be lengthy hearings and revisions. "All we can say is really years" until they take effect, he said.
This spring, a San Diego-based law firm got pending lawsuits against makers of the top sunscreens — Coppertone, Neutrogena, Playtex Products' Banana Boat, Tanning Research Laboratories' Hawaiian Tropic and Chattem Inc.'s Bullfrog — consolidated into one case in Los Angeles.
Lead lawyer Samuel Rudman, who has called the makers "Fortune 500 snake oil salesmen," said manufacturers are fraudulent in their label claims.
"Our lawsuit doesn't say, 'Don't use sunscreen.' It says, 'Tell the truth.' If people knew, they would still use it," Rudman said.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 10 California residents, also seeks damages for unspecified injuries and other restitution.
The manufacturers either declined to discuss the lawsuit or said it is without merit.
Despite public education campaigns about avoiding sun exposure and tanning salons, skin cancer incidence is climbing. There will be about 62,000 melanoma cases and 7,900 deaths this year, the American Cancer Society estimates. There are more than 1 million annual cases of squamous and basal skin cancers, and about 2,800 deaths. ¶ 12:33 PM 0 comments
Sunscreens faulted on cancer protection
By LINDA A. JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Thu Jun 15, 6:06 PM ET
Think slathering on the highest-number sunscreen at the beach or pool will spare you skin cancer and premature wrinkles? Probably not, if you're in the sun a lot.
That's because you don't need a sunburn to suffer the effects that can cause various types of skin cancer.
Sunscreens generally do a good job filtering out the ultraviolet rays that cause sunburn — UVB rays. But with sunburn protection, many people get a false sense of security that keeps them under the harsh sun much longer. That adds to the risk of eventual skin cancer — both deadly melanoma and the more common and less-threatening basal and squamous cell cancers.
And most sunscreens don't defend nearly as well against the UVA rays that penetrate deep into the skin and are more likely to cause skin cancer and wrinkles. That's true even for some products labeled "broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection."
Experts say the best protection against UVA is a sunscreen that includes zinc oxide, titanium dioxide or avobenzone. Consumers should also look for those that are water-resistant and have an SPF of 30 or better, indicating strong protection against UVB rays, and apply liberally and often.
More important, limit time in the sun, particularly from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and cover up, including wearing a hat and sunglasses.
Often, product labels are confusing or bear misleading claims. For example, the SPF, or sun protection factor, refers only to defense against the less harmful UVB rays.
"I don't think people understand they're only getting protection from part of the spectrum," said Dr. Sandra Read, a spokeswoman for the American Academy of Dermatology. "You're accumulating this damage and you don't know it."
Many sunscreens say little about when to reapply — doctors say at least every two hours and after swimming or sweating. Nor do they say much about how much to use, roughly two tablespoons for an adult.
"Most people who use an SPF 15 get the protection equivalent to an SPF 5 because they put it on" too thinly, said Dr. Martin A. Weinstock, chairman of the
American Cancer Society's skin cancer advisory group and a Brown University professor.
While a higher SPF number means more protection, the difference is small: SPF 15 blocks about 93 percent of UVB rays and SPF 50, often more expensive, blocks about 98 percent.
Most sunscreens work by reacting chemically with the skin, so they don't start absorbing damaging rays right away and must be applied a half-hour before going outside, something many labels fail to note.
And claims such as "waterproof" and "sunblock" are unsupported, according to the
Food and Drug Administration, which years ago proposed replacing them with the more-accurate terms "water resistant" and "sunscreen." Manufacturers, including Neutrogena Suncare maker Johnson & Johnson and Coppertone maker Schering-Plough Corp., say they haven't complied because the FDA still hasn't imposed those rules — a delay that's spawned consumer lawsuits and pressure on the FDA from Congress and the American Cancer Society.
Still, doctors say people shouldn't abandon sunscreen: They probably should use more.
"Sunscreens do protect against skin cancer," said Dr. Babar Rao, a dermatologist at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey. "We definitely still need sunscreen, even on a cloudy day."
Research has shown heavy sunscreen use lowers risk of squamous skin cell cancer, which has a high cure rate if caught early. Another study found heavy sunscreen use in children reduces the number of moles, which can turn cancerous later, Weinstock noted.
In 1999, the FDA announced tougher rules for sunscreen testing and label and ad claims, to take effect in 2001. But the agency put them on hold indefinitely to do more tests, said Dr. Matthew Holman, senior scientist at the FDA's drug evaluation center.
Last fall, Congress ordered the FDA to produce the new regulations within six months through a provision added by Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., in the FDA appropriations bill.
"Twenty years is long enough for the FDA to ensure that all Americans have equal access to clear, accurate and comprehensive sunscreen labeling as their first line of defense against skin cancer," Dodd said, referring to how long the agency has worked on new rules.
Holman said proposed rules could be announced this summer, but then there will be lengthy hearings and revisions. "All we can say is really years" until they take effect, he said.
This spring, a San Diego-based law firm got pending lawsuits against makers of the top sunscreens — Coppertone, Neutrogena, Playtex Products' Banana Boat, Tanning Research Laboratories' Hawaiian Tropic and Chattem Inc.'s Bullfrog — consolidated into one case in Los Angeles.
Lead lawyer Samuel Rudman, who has called the makers "Fortune 500 snake oil salesmen," said manufacturers are fraudulent in their label claims.
"Our lawsuit doesn't say, 'Don't use sunscreen.' It says, 'Tell the truth.' If people knew, they would still use it," Rudman said.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 10 California residents, also seeks damages for unspecified injuries and other restitution.
The manufacturers either declined to discuss the lawsuit or said it is without merit.
Despite public education campaigns about avoiding sun exposure and tanning salons, skin cancer incidence is climbing. There will be about 62,000 melanoma cases and 7,900 deaths this year, the American Cancer Society estimates. There are more than 1 million annual cases of squamous and basal skin cancers, and about 2,800 deaths. ¶ 12:33 PM 0 comments
Wymsey Weekend: A Guide to Mobile Cooking
Wymsey Weekend: A Guide to Mobile Cooking
Weekend Eating: Mobile Cooking
with Suzzanna Decantworthy
additional research: Sean McCleanaugh
Many students, and other young people, have little in the way of cooking skills but can usually get their hands on a couple of mobile phones. So, this week, we show you how to use two mobile phones to cook an egg which will make a change from phoning out for a pizza. Please note that this will not work with cordless phones.
To do this you will need two mobile phones -they do not have to be on the same network but you will need to know the number of one of them. The only other items you will need are:
1. An egg cup, (make sure that the egg cup is made of an insulating material such as China, wood or glass - plastic will do. DO NOT use stainless steel or other metal).
2. A radio, AM or FM - you can also use your hifi.
3. A table or other flat surface on which to place the phones and egg cup. You can place the radio anywhere in the room but you might as well put it on the table.
How To Do It:
1. Take an egg from the fridge and place it in the egg cup in the centre of the table.
2. Switch on the radio or hifi and turn it up to a comfortable volume.
3. Switch on phone A and place it on the table such that the antenna (the pokey thing at the top) is about half an inch from the egg (you may need to experiment to get the relative heights correct - paperbacks are good if you have any - if not you may be able to get some wood off cuts from your local hardware shop).
4. Switch on phone B and ring phone A then place phone B on the table in a similar but complementary position to Phone A.
5. Answer phone A - you should be able to do this without removing it from the table. If not, don't panic, just return the phone to where you originally placed on the table.
6. Phone A will now be talking to Phone B whilst Phone B will be talking to Phone A.
7. Cooking time: This very much depends on the power output of your mobile phone. For instance, a pair of mobiles each with 2 Watts of transmitter output will take three minutes to boil a large free range egg. Check your user manual and remember that cooking time will be proportional to the inverse square of the output power for a given distance from egg to phone.
8. Cut out these instructions for future reference.
Note: We cooked our egg during the evening using free local calls, if you were to cook an egg for lunch it would cost £3.00 - not cheap but you do have the convenience.
phone eggcup phone
Phone A > > > > Egg < < < < Phone B ¶ 12:03 PM 0 comments
Weekend Eating: Mobile Cooking
with Suzzanna Decantworthy
additional research: Sean McCleanaugh
Many students, and other young people, have little in the way of cooking skills but can usually get their hands on a couple of mobile phones. So, this week, we show you how to use two mobile phones to cook an egg which will make a change from phoning out for a pizza. Please note that this will not work with cordless phones.
To do this you will need two mobile phones -they do not have to be on the same network but you will need to know the number of one of them. The only other items you will need are:
1. An egg cup, (make sure that the egg cup is made of an insulating material such as China, wood or glass - plastic will do. DO NOT use stainless steel or other metal).
2. A radio, AM or FM - you can also use your hifi.
3. A table or other flat surface on which to place the phones and egg cup. You can place the radio anywhere in the room but you might as well put it on the table.
How To Do It:
1. Take an egg from the fridge and place it in the egg cup in the centre of the table.
2. Switch on the radio or hifi and turn it up to a comfortable volume.
3. Switch on phone A and place it on the table such that the antenna (the pokey thing at the top) is about half an inch from the egg (you may need to experiment to get the relative heights correct - paperbacks are good if you have any - if not you may be able to get some wood off cuts from your local hardware shop).
4. Switch on phone B and ring phone A then place phone B on the table in a similar but complementary position to Phone A.
5. Answer phone A - you should be able to do this without removing it from the table. If not, don't panic, just return the phone to where you originally placed on the table.
6. Phone A will now be talking to Phone B whilst Phone B will be talking to Phone A.
7. Cooking time: This very much depends on the power output of your mobile phone. For instance, a pair of mobiles each with 2 Watts of transmitter output will take three minutes to boil a large free range egg. Check your user manual and remember that cooking time will be proportional to the inverse square of the output power for a given distance from egg to phone.
8. Cut out these instructions for future reference.
Note: We cooked our egg during the evening using free local calls, if you were to cook an egg for lunch it would cost £3.00 - not cheap but you do have the convenience.
phone eggcup phone
Phone A > > > > Egg < < < < Phone B ¶ 12:03 PM 0 comments
