SAN DIEGO When Dr. Michael Swann advises patients to apply sunscreen to protect against melanoma, the suggestion sometimes falls on deaf ears.
"Patients who don't want to wear sunscreen will say, 'I don't wear sunscreen because it's never been shown to protect against melanoma,'" he said in an update on melanoma sponsored by the Scripps Clinic. "There are a lot of arguments against using it. People will believe what they want to believe."
He acknowledges that retrospective studies have not shown a clear benefit or detriment to using sunscreen to reduce the risk of melanoma but points his patients to other evidence. In Hawaii, where residents apply more sunscreen regularly than in other states, melanoma rates are declining.
The same goes for Australia, where an estimated 74% of residents use sunscreen regularly.
He goes on to tell them that the sunscreens studied over the past 20 years lacked any appreciable UVA protection, which may be important in melanoma. In recent years, though, sunscreens have hit the market with effective protection against UVA. For everyday protection, Dr. Swann recommends Anthelios SX by L'Oréal La Roche-Possay, which contains the sun filter Mexoryl SX.
"At this point, it is only approved as an SPF 15, so it's not really a good one for being on the golf course all day," said Dr. Swann of the Scripps Clinic, La Jolla, Calif.
For periods of longer exposure, he recommends Neutrogena sunscreens with Helioplex, which contain stable avobenzone.
He said that he has no conflict of interest with either manufacturer.