Integrating Sunscreen into Preventive Healthcare Strategies

Dr. Roger Kapoor, MD, MBA, FAAD, is a Harvard-trained dermatologist and Senior Executive VP at Beloit Health System. Educated at Stanford and Harvard, with an MBA from Oxford, he authored "Working Happy" on healthcare burnout. Honored with the Kenneth M. Viste Young Physician Leader Award and recognized by Modern Healthcare and Becker’s Healthcare as a top leader.

Through this article, Roger Kapoor highlights the critical role of sunscreen in preventing skin cancer and argues for its inclusion in preventive healthcare and insurance coverage. He outlines the significant economic burden of skin cancer treatment and emphasizes how sunscreen use can drastically reduce skin cancer risk. Kapoor also addresses the financial barriers that prevent consistent sunscreen use among low-income individuals and advocates for integrating sunscreen into healthcare coverage to promote equity and reduce overall healthcare costs. He underscores the shift from reactive to preventive healthcare, advocating for increased public awareness and accessibility of sunscreen to combat skin cancer effectively.

Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the United States. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, approximately 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day and current estimates indicate that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer at some point in their lives.

In 2024, there will be over 200,000 new cases of melanoma in the U.S., with roughly half being noninvasive (in situ) and half being invasive. Invasive melanoma is expected to be the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer for both men (nearly 60,000 cases) and women (40,000).

While skin cancer is often treatable when caught early enough, sadly, over 8,000 Americans will die from it this year.

The annual medical cost of treating skin cancer in the United States is between $8.1 billion and $8.9 billion. This cost is broken down into about $4.8 billion for nonmelanoma skin cancers and $3.3 billion for melanoma. The cost of treating skin cancer can vary depending on the individual case, as the case details determine treatment regimens. CostHelper.com estimates the total cost of treating skin cancer to range from $400–$50,000, with health insurance paying anywhere from 50 to 90 percent.

Lowering the Risk

Skin cancer is not preventable, but individuals can significantly lower their risk by taking precautionary steps. Because skin cancer is primarily caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and other sources, individuals need to reduce the amount of UV radiation penetrating the skin to lower the risk. Preventive medicine focuses on avoiding diseases before they occur and quality sunscreen is a prime example of a highly effective preventive healthcare product. 

Regular use of sunscreen has been shown to significantly lower the risk of developing skin cancer. A 2011 study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that consistent sunscreen application reduced the incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by as much as 73 percent.

Economic Barriers to Sunscreen Use

Despite widespread awareness of the risks of UV exposure, many individuals do not consistently use sunscreen due to its cost. High-quality sunscreens can be expensive and this cost can be prohibitive for low-income families or individuals. Healthcare equity is a fundamental principle that ensures all individuals have access to necessary medical services and preventive measures, regardless of their socioeconomic status. Unfortunately, disparities in access to preventive healthcare exist and sun protection is no exception. Individuals from lower-income backgrounds often face financial barriers to purchasing sunscreen, which could be a contributing factor to the higher rates of skin cancer in these populations, which I see in my clinic. Given that regular sunscreen products can significantly reduce the risk of skin cancer, what if sunscreen was viewed through preventative medicine and included in insurance coverage?

Sunscreen Safety

For product safety, there are two primary types of sunscreens: chemical and mineral. Chemical sunscreens use organic filters to absorb harmful UV rays, with about a dozen commonly used in the U.S., such as oxybenzone, octinoxate, avobenzone, homosalate and octocrylene. On the other hand, mineral sunscreens create a physical barrier against the sun’s rays by using inorganic filters like zinc and titanium dioxide.

Some people have concerns about the chemical formulas. Most people generally benefit more from using sunscreen than avoiding its use altogether. After all, we’re constantly exposed to potentially harmful chemicals in beauty products, plastics, food, water and the environment. The clear danger of applying nothing far outweighs the risk posed by chemical sunscreens. For those worried about safety, mineral sunscreens are generally considered safer than their chemical counterparts.

Focus on Prevention

Our healthcare system is slowly moving from a model based on responding to injury and illness to one of preventing injury and disease from ever happening. Decreasing the number of skin cancer cases and associated treatments can reduce society's costs. Preventive measures are generally more cost-effective than treatment and investing in sunscreen coverage could result in long-term economic benefits for healthcare systems and society. If quality sunscreen products were more affordable, we might address these income and access disparities and promote health equity.

Reframing sunscreen under the umbrella of preventive health measures would emphasize the role of sun protection in maintaining overall health and encourage individuals to adopt sun-safe behaviors. Public health campaigns can educate people about the benefits of sunscreen and incorporate it into their daily routines.

Skin cancer is not only a personal and family problem but an economic and social burden. Minimizing the cost of skin cancer on our overall economy would benefit our patients, their families and our healthcare system.