Melanoma in adults is typically tied back to acute blistering sunburn events that happened before the age of 18 (as you seem to be aware). The most common sites of melanoma are chest and back in men and legs in women, areas that are more often than not covered by clothing and not in need of sunscreen.
Cumulative sun exposure on the other hand causes the other types of skin cancer - not melanoma, which this vaccine is targeting.
The most common chemical sunscreen ingredients cause cancer themselves and are wildly overdue for FDA review and removal (that has been held up for political reasons). For those who wish to wear sunscreen I recommend non-nano zinc mineral sunscreen such as Thinksport. Look for "non-nano" and zinc oxide (not titanium oxide, which is often nano in part and also a carcinogen) on the label.
> The most common chemical sunscreen ingredients cause cancer themselves
Both of these statements are out-of-date.
Recent studies show two different histological subtypes of melanoma for young adults vs older adults, each following a different common mode of presentation [1]. Melanoma in younger adults tends to present on the long limbs and is thought to have different contributing factors.
Also "common chemical sunscreen ingredients cause cancer" is a common FUD trope. Sunscreen reduces cancer mortality, full stop. Each person's circumstances vary based on their daily habits, geography, and personal/familial history.
You didn't actually prove anything with your counter point here, as confident as you are - which is as confident to whom you're responding to.
At this level of ideological-indoctrination, it seems each person would have to actually participate [run and observe them] in the trials to see if certain ingredients cause an increase in rates of cancer.
How else do people indoctrinated into a belief, believing they simply know better - and must be right, than have people repeat clinical trials on animal models [or better]? Genuine question.
With the practical advice to counter this being gradual increase of sun exposure to allow your body to build a deep layer of protection (tan) - of which sun screen will prevent, and then if you miss any spots and get full blast of sun for hours all of a sudden then those will be points of vulnerability.
Pharmaceutical industrial complex: create-advertise the problem, sell the solution(s) = profit!!
Its there evidence that the incremental tanning you describe actually protects you from skin cancer and will not cause other cancers? If not, this seems like a very reckless comment.
I'm curious how this was studied. I feel like that's when everyone gets really bad sunburns because this has to be extremely hard to actually confirm. Doesn't everyone get sunburns when they were in this age category? It's when we are young and irresponsible, putting on sunscreen requires persistence on something that doesn't seem important in the short term (and arguably is a newer trend).
I totally believe that sun damage on your skin causes skin cancer but studying your choices in your younger years to later years seems quite difficult to confirm through research. Wouldn't they need to confirm adults that were diligent about putting on sunscreen their entire life, including when they were kids?
Tell that to my GP. Both my parents had melanoma, and they each had one additional type of skin cancer each. Their dermatologist is insistent that I get checked, but my GP doesn't think it's necessary, so my HMO won't pay for it.
Many GPs aren't taking new patients (or at least from whatever insurance you have) or the initial new patient visit may take 4+ months to schedule.
GP is not a particularly popular choice for doctors as it pays significant less than any specialty does.
He did help. Absolutely. A friend was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma 5 years ago, and she's in full remission today with an optimistic prognosis. Her life is possible because of researchers and people like your dad.
I'm sorry for your loss.
Get your moles checked.
My dad died in July 1996 from a nasty mole on his back. He would ask me to scratch his back and I remember being 8 or 9 years old and having to scratch around it as it was near the seam of his tank top (which likely aggravated it daily). And would make comments about it being "gross". We just didn't know what we know today.
He was drying off after showering one morning and got blood all over the towel from the mole. He went to the dermatologist and was told he had malignant melanoma. This was in September 1995 and he was in the ground before the middle of July 1996. Nine months to get his affairs in order. I remember driving around and seeing his old college pals (one of which I still see once a year or so for lunch to this day). I remember him buying a bag phone, a "car phone" so we could keep in touch as he drove from Eastern KY to Duke University for experimental treatments (I believe it was the one that led to the immunotherapy treatments used today). He told my mom even if it didn't help him he hoped it would help someone.
I avoid the sun with the exception of the back of my neck and the top of my hands. He has no clue (nor do the dermatologists) what caused it but, like other posts mention, likely sunburns in childhood.
I am so hopeful for this treatment and thankful for the progress made on the immunotherapy fronts.