Primary prevention of skin cancer

The vast majority of skin cancers are caused by exposure to the sun or other sources of ultraviolet radiation (UV). Behavioral interventions to assist people to reduce overexposure to UV have commonly been effective in changing some intermediate outcomes, such as increasing skin covering or decreasing sunburn episodes. Several chemopreventive agents and micronutrients have been tested with largely null results. UV exposure avoidance and sunscreen use continue to be the most promising strategies for primary skin cancer prevention