Austrian Doctors link Marathon to Skin Cancer

White marathon runners are at higher risk of developing skin cancer than their counterparts who participate in other forms of sport, an Austrian study of long-distance runners revealed on Monday.

The Austrian researchers in their report suggested that the long-distance runners should take some precautionary measures to protect themselves from the risk of developing skin cancer. Use of sunscreen to reduce body exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, protective clothing and well organized training and competition routines can defend them from the possible risks, they suggested.

The study that published in the latest edition of the Archives of Dermatology journal revealed that long-distance runners are more likely to develop moles and liver spots, the symptoms of heightened risk to malignant melanoma.

They attributed the increased risk to greater exposure to UV rays, which further aggrandizes when sweat worsens the effect by making the skin sensitive to UV rays, the researchers said. Besides sun exposure, the researchers posed immunosuppression due to intense training as a potential threat for melanoma.

Doctors at the Medical University of Graz in Austria decided to probe melanoma risk among marathon runners after examining eight patients with the disease, who later were discovered to be ultra-marathon runners, over a 10-year period.

Dr. Christina M Ambros-Rudolph and her colleagues included 210 marathon runners, 166 male and 44 female, aged 19 to 71 for the purpose. A control group of 210, matched to the runners by age and sex, were also recruited at a skin cancer screening campaign for the comparison.

Of the total participants 203, or 96.7 percent wore shorts, 184 or 86.7 percent wore short-sleeved or sleeveless and 23, or 11 percent wore shirts while running for several hours each week. But, only 118 or 56.2 per cent runners reported using sunscreen while training or competing, 88 or 41.9 percent used it occasionally and 4 or 1.9 percent did not use it at all.

After observing the data, the researchers discovered that in almost every case the cancer had developed on those areas of body which were not covered properly, like upper back or lower thigh and calf.

After comparing the data with 210 non-runners, the researchers found that the long distance runners had more moles and liver spots, posing increased risk of malignant melanoma. Furthermore, skin examinations of both groups also came up with significant results.

After examining the skin, they identified 24 of the runners with suspected early signs of skin cancer and referred them to specialists, while only 14 of the control group were detected with the signs and were referred to skin specialists.

"Runners should be alerted to the crucial role of UV radiation in the development of malignant melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer," Ambros-Rudolph and her colleagues concluded in their study.

"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."