Skin cancer prevention and sunscreens

Abstract

### What you need to know A parent visits their general practitioner with their 1 year old child, who is due to receive several vaccinations. During the appointment, the parent asks whether it is OK to start using infant sunscreen formulations, as they have heard there is a risk that sunscreens can be unsafe for infants, and that they can cause skin reactions. You observe that the infant has fair skin. The parent notes their child has sensitive skin, which is easily irritated, and asks for your recommendation. Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide.1 The Global Burden of Disease study shows rates of skin cancer continue to rise, largely owing to an aging population.12 The most common skin cancers include keratinocyte cancers, basal cell cancer and cutaneous squamous cell cancer, and melanoma. Deaths due to melanoma are projected to increase by about 68% from 2020 to 2040.1 Although improvements in treatments for advanced melanoma have reduced mortality rates globally, these therapies are expensive and contribute to the …