Post subject: Morning-after cream may cut skin cancer

SCIENTISTS have developed a revolutionary morning-after sun cream that could cut the number of skin cancer deaths.
Unlike conventional lotions which only soothe and moisturise the skin it contains a protein which repairs DNA damage caused by the sun’s rays.

Its makers hope it will be used as part of a daily regime to protect against skin cancer.

Melanoma claims more than 400 lives in NSW every year and more than 3200 new cases of the disease are diagnosed annually.

The cream - Demericine - is based on a natural protein that improves the skin’s normal repair process.

It contains oil sacs that allow the protein to penetrate skin cells and removes damaged areas of DNA.

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Normal creams do not repair skin cells but soothe sore areas by moisturising them. Some also contain aloe vera, a painkiller.

The new lotion has been tested on 30 people with a rare genetic disease that makes them highly susceptible to skin cancer.

The test subjects who used it every day for a year had 30 per cent fewer skin cancers and 68 per cent fewer pre-cancerous lesions.

Dr Daniel Yaroush, president of the US firm AGI Dermatics which developed the cream, said the lotion appeared to prevent suppression of the immune system.

He added it should not be used instead of normal sunscreen or as an excuse to stay out longer in the sun.

“People don’t always use sunscreen when they should and just from going out and about they can get a significant amount of sun exposure over their lifetime,” he said.

“We are not advocating this as an alternative to sunscreen. It should be used alongside it as part of people’s daily regime.”

The lotion is still undergoing clinical tests, but Dr Yaroush said it may be available by 2007.

Cancer experts warned that a morning-after cream could encourage people to stay out in the sun longer and risk sunburn.

British Association of International Cancer Research chief executive Derek Napier said sunbathers would see the cream as a safety net.

Aaron

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Is it only me who thinks that it's probably best not to spend so many hours under the sun and burn your skin in the first place?

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It's kind of nice to be under the sun on the beach once in a while. But some people spend so many hours under the sun like they're so obsessed. They arrange their schedule to do this so often. That's not very good.

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That's very interesting. Is this cream only marketed in Oz, or is it available worldwide?

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Ah....I see it's still under development and not on the market yet.