Beach vacations during childhood may increase children’s future risk of deadly skin cancer melanoma, which is considered the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

 

The study led by researchers from the Colorado Public School of Health included more than 650 kids who were at the age of 7. The researchers found that children who enjoyed beach vacations were more likely to develop moles, a risk factor for developing malignant melanoma.

 

According to recent estimates of the American Cancer Society, there will be about 62,500 new cases of melanoma this year. The deadly form of skin cancer will kill about 8,400 people. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, about 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are linked to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

 

The researchers studied only children living in Colorado, but said that the conclusions of the study were relevant to all children. Parents are advised to be careful when they take their children on holidays in places where they may be exposed to the sun.

 

People should avoid exposure to the sun between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun’s rays are most intense. Doctors say people can get the necessary quantity of vitamin D from food, without being necessary to expose their bodies under direct sunlight, or in tanning salons. They say skin cancer rates are rising day by day. More than a million Americans develop skin cancer every year in the United States and an estimated one in five people develop a form of skin cancer during their lifetime. Ultraviolet radiation is a major risk factor for all types of skin cancer.