Soldiers Working Abroad Have Higher Risk of Skin Cancer

A team of researchers stated that soldiers working in regions with tropical or sunny climate are at an increased risk of developing skin cancer.

Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer among Americans. It is estimated that in 2014, over 2,000,000 new cases of skin cancer will be reported. Each year in the United States, melanoma claims 9,700 lives.

The study, led by the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, looked at 200 veterans who were seen at the post-deployment clinic of the Tennessee Valley Healthcare System of the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. The researchers noticed that about 62 percent of the soldiers who were deployed to abroad tropical zones reported sunburns including skin blistering. Apart from this, 29 percent of them had changes in the shape, size and color of moles on their skin (moles indicate higher risk of skin cancer). It was just four percent of these military personnel who underwent skin examination ever since their deployment.

"The past decade of United States combat missions, including operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, have occurred at a more equatorial latitude than the mean center of the United States population, increasing the potential for ultraviolet irradiance and the development of skin cancer," said Jennifer Powers, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Dermatology and lead researcher on the study.

Further, the researchers noted that 22 percent of the military personnel were informed and educated on the risk of exposure to sun. More than 77 percent of the soldiers were exposed to bright sunlight for more than four hours a day while they were on duty and 27 percent of them regularly used sunscreens and it was accessible to the rest. Around 32 percent had no access to sunscreen while at work.

A study conducted earlier showed that 34 percent of the military soldiers who developed skin cancer had been deployed to tropical climate regions. The research highlights the lack of access to sunscreens that further leads to long term health risks.

"This study demonstrates room for improvement for skin cancer prevention and early detection in the military population, including possible screening of higher-risk personnel," she said.

The results were presented at the World congress on Cancers of the Skin held in Edinburgh.