In mouse studies at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, researchers found that sunburned skin makes a protein that kills any cells with mutations that might otherwise lead to cancer. Our finding is the first to identify a protein that is a natural defense against skin cancer,'' said Laurie Owen-Schaub, senior author of a study to published Friday in the journal Science .
Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer.
About 1 million cases of basal cell and squamous cell cancer are diagnosed annually in the United States. The most serious form of skin cancer, melanoma, is diagnosed in about 44,200 Americans annually. Skin cancer can be easily treated if detected early, but the disease kills about 9,200 Americans annually. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun is thought to be the most common cause of the genetic changes linked to skin cancer. Studies have shown that UV radiation can disable certain genes that normally keep cancer in check.