The group that sparked an outcry of criticism with its advice on mammograms and prostate cancer screening, said Monday that doctors should counsel young people to avoid sun exposure, to reduce the risk of skin cancer.
The advice applies to fair-haired people between the ages of 10 and 24, according to guidelines released Monday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. For adults older than 24, there is not enough evidence to say whether counseling about sun exposure makes a difference, according to the Task Force. The guidelines are published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
With children younger than 10, counseling on sun exposure should be directed towards parents, said Dr. David Grossman, a member of the Task Force, a pediatrician and senior investigator at the Group Health Research Institute in Seattle. Patients age 10 to 24 should be told to wear sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or above, to cover exposed areas of skin, stay out of the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m and to shun indoor tanning booths, Grossman said.
