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 05 July 2008 14:51 BST

Marathon running linked to skin cancer risk

Tuesday, 21 Nov 2006 08:19
Marathon runners are not putting on enough suncream

Health In Focus 

Marathon runners are more likely to develop skin cancer than those who participate in less extreme forms of sport, according to an Austrian study.

Publishing their findings in the latest edition of the Archives of Dermatology journal, researchers from the Medical University of Graz show that marathon runners are more likely to develop moles and liver spots, both signs of increased risk to malignant melanoma.

Largely responsible for the increased risk is a tendency among runners to inadequately protect their skin from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Of the study's subjects 86.7 per cent wore shorts or short-sleeved shirts while running for several hours each week, but only 56.2 per cent used sunscreen.

"Runners should be alerted to the crucial role of UV radiation in the development of malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer," the study concludes.

"In particular, they should be advised to reduce UV exposure during exercising by choosing training and competition schedules with low sun exposure, wearing adequate clothing and regularly using water-resistant sunscreens."

Also having an impact on the increased risk was the endurance nature of marathon running, which the study found lowered the effectiveness of the body's immune system, increasing the risk for malignant melanomas.End of story


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