Does the sun play a role in the aetiology of malignant melanoma? A review.

Abstract

The role of the sun in the aetiology of malignant melanoma is controversial. In 1992 Schuster1 wrote provocatively, ‘Despite the lack of evidence of a causal link between sun exposure and melanoma, fear has been used shamelessly to frighten people out of the sun and into pigmented lesion clinics.' He claimed that the main reason for the supposed increase in incidence of melanoma was that many lesions, previously regarded as benign, were being classified as malignant, and that melanomas were being invented not found. South African Medical Journal Vol. 97 (8) 2007: pp. 568-571