Fact-Check Debunks 200% Sunscreen-Cancer Claim as Europe Swelters Above 40C
Updated
Updated · DW (English) · Jun 29
Fact-Check Debunks 200% Sunscreen-Cancer Claim as Europe Swelters Above 40C
2 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Jun 29
Summary
A renewed social-media claim that sunscreen raises skin-cancer risk was rated misleading, with health officials and studies finding no scientific evidence that sunscreen increases cancer risk.
The viral post wrongly cites the US National Cancer Institute as saying melanoma rose more than 200% since sunscreen's 1940 introduction; available NCI incidence data begin only in 1975, though diagnosed melanoma cases have risen more than 220% through 2023.
Researchers point instead to better case reporting, more time in the sun, climate-related UV changes and improper sunscreen use as likely drivers of rising melanoma diagnoses.
Survey data suggest underuse remains common: 51% of respondents in Germany said in 2024 they use sunscreen only in summer or direct sun, 17% never use it, and 33% of US adults said they never use sunscreen.
The fact-check resurfaced as Europe endures a heat dome with temperatures above 40C, reinforcing FDA guidance to use sunscreen regularly, including on cloudy days.