DW Fact Check: Does sunscreen increase skin cancer risk?

Millions of people across Europe are dealing with temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius(104 degrees Fahrenheit), baking under a heat dome, with hot nights making recovery harder.

While many recognize the need to use sunscreen to protect themselves from the sun, some, particularly on social media, have been discussing whether it could actually be harmful.

The discussion centers around the question of whether sunscreen could increase the risk of skin cancer rather than reduce it.

And while the debate is not new, it does seem to be resurfacing more frequently, as global temperatures continue to rise and droughts and extreme heat become the new normal.

Does sunscreen increase skin cancer risk?

Claim: "According to the National Cancer Institute, since the introduction of sunscreen in 1940, melanoma has increased by over 200%."

This claim, archived here,has appeared on several social media platforms. It further describes sunscreen as a "poison" that prevents the body from properly absorbing sunlight.

DW Fact check: Misleading

First, several studieshave shown that regularly using sunscreen actually reduces the risk of developing melanoma.

"There is no scientific evidence that supports the association of sunscreen use with a higher risk of cancer," said Brittany Schaefer, Public Information Officer with the Connecticut State Department of Public Health.

Schaefer spoke to DW last year, when the Fact check team debunked similar claims around sunscreen, especially the false assumption that the countries that use the most sunscreen have the highest incidence of skin cancer.

Second, the US National Cancer Institutehas not said sunscreen use caused a 200% increase in melanoma since 1940.

The available data on new observed melanoma cases only goes back to 1975.

According to the data, the rate of newly diagnosed melanoma cases has increased by more than 220% from then to 2023.

However, there is no evidence linking the rise in melanoma cases to sunscreen use.

So why are melanoma cases increasing?

A 2023 studyinvolving scientists from the US, Germany, Switzerland and Hungary can provide some clues to understand why cases are on the rise.

Some of the hypotheses discussed by the authors include:

An increase in reporting and documenting cases

People are spending more time exposed to the sun

Climate change, especially the reduction of the ozone layer and UV index variations

Sunscreen is not necessarily being used appropriately

This final point has also been highlighted by public surveys across several countries, despite recommendations that sunscreen should be used regularly.

In Germany, for example, 51% of respondentssaid in 2024 that they only use sunscreen in summer or when exposed to direct sunlight, while 17% said they never use it.

And in the United States, a poll conducted in the same yearfound that 33% of adults admitted to never using sunscreen at all.

Guidance from the US Food and Drug Administration,which regulates sunscreens to ensure they meet safety and effectiveness standards, recommends using sunscreen regularly and even on cloudy days.