Skiers at Risk for Skin Cancer
Excerpt By Stephanie Riesenman, Reuters Health

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Skiers beware: you may be soaking up as much sun on some slopes as you would at a midsummer beach, according to a new study by New York dermatologists.

"People don't think of sun protection in the winter, that's what this study shows. Especially when you're skiing, remember to protect yourself from the sun," said Dr. Darrell S. Rigel, a professor of dermatology at the New York University School of Medicine.

According to a report in the January issue of the Archives of Dermatology, Rigel and colleagues measured ultraviolet radiation (UV) rays at a popular ski resort in Vail, Colorado by having 10 professional ski instructors wear UV sensors on their arms. Data for hourly exposure to UV-B was collected for 84 days, and UV-A data was collected for 66 days.

The researchers found that the sun's intensity at the base of the mountain in Vail in December was equivalent to a summer day in Florida or a June day at the beach in New York.

The researchers say UV exposure increases as elevation increases, so for skiers, the risk for skin cancer may be just as great on a snowy mountain as it is on a sandy beach in the summer. Vail is located at 2,500 to 3,500 meters (8,200 to 11,400 feet) above sea level.

Rigel told Reuters Health most people don't think about getting a sunburn in the wintertime because it's so cold. But temperature doesn't measure the amount of radiation hitting the skin.

The risk of melanoma--the most rare but dangerous type of skin cancer--is strongly correlated with sun exposure and sunburn, especially when the exposure occurs before the age of 18. Similar to smoking, the younger you start, the greater the risk for cancer, said Rigel.

Prior to the current study, no one had quantitatively measured radiation exposure in alpine skiers, he said.

About two thirds of the skiers received an average daily UV exposure about twice that necessary to burn fair or light skin, he said. "So basically they got more than twice of what it takes to sunburn, and if they didn't wear sunscreen they were guaranteed to burn that day," he said.

Protection is as easy as changing a few behaviors. Rigel and his colleagues suggest wearing clothing and eye gear that shields from the sun's rays. If you're going to ski in a T-shirt, make sure to put on some sunscreen. Peak sun exposure occurs from 10 AM to 2 PM, prime skiing hours, so Rigel says nothing less than SPF 30 should be slathered on skin that's exposed.

Those who rarely burn, or have olive or brown complexions should also wear sunscreen. People with dark complexions may not get red from the sun, but the exposure can still cause damage that leads to premature aging or skin cancer later in life, according to Rigel.

"There are more skin cancers than all other cancers combined in the United States each year," said Rigel. "The fact is, skin cancer is one of the few cancers where we know what the cause of almost all of them are, and a simple behavioral change can dramatically lower your risk."

SOURCE: Archives of Dermatology 2003;139:60-62.

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