BMJ  2003;326:1148 (24 May), doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7399.1148-a

Letter

Cover up and stay out of sun to prevent skin cancer

The first 100% of the full text of this article appears below.

EDITOR—Messages to prevent skin cancer should emphasise the need to cover up and stay out of the sun.1 They should also emphasise the biology of the condition.

The message that those chosen by Darwinian natural selection to live in Australia have black skins, which protect them against skin cancer, and those chosen by Darwinian natural selection to live in Europe have no such protection when living in Australia, is not commonly given, probably because it would be unpopular. However, it could be a most effective educational tool.

The skin of north Europeans distributed throughout continents for which it was not chosen by natural selection may not be effectively protected unless fully protected by clothing, the equivalent of black skin.

John N Burry, retired dermatologist

PO Box 7177, Hutt Street Post Office. Adelaide, 5000 South Australia, Australia burlep@ozemail.com.au

Competing interests: None declared.

  1. Fry A, Verne J. Preventing skin cancer. BMJ 2003; 326: 114-5. (18 January.)[Free Full Text]

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