Abstract

Skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma are some of the most frequent types of cancer in the world (and in Germany), and ultraviolet (UV) radiation has been proven as the main risk factor for skin cancer induction. The German Commission on Radiological Protection (SSK) has also observed the increase in incidence of various types of skin cancer in Germany since many years now, and last compiled the findings about the association of skin cancer and UV radiation in a recommendation of 2016 titled “Protection of man against the hazards of solar UV radiation and UV radiation in solaria”. This publication also included a series of recommendations, which should help to minimise the risk of developing UV-induced skin cancer. However, there is still no robust data available to describe a dose-response relationship between the UV dose and incidences of the different types of skin cancers. This makes it difficult to offer targeted risk communication and specify suitable prevention measures for UV-induced skin cancer since dose-response relationships can be used to extrapolate the estimated number of cancer cases among the public resulting from specific types of exposure. Given this situation, the German Commission on Radiological Protection was commissioned to collate the current state of knowledge surrounding dose-response relationships between UV exposure and UV-induced skin cancer, and to propose steps to be taken to improve the current situation, particularly in terms of research. The present statement is intended to update and to concretise the 2016 SSK recommendation. This former recommendation already showed that further insight into dose-response relationships for the association between UV radiation and skin cancer could allow trends to be derived for future skin cancer incidences. The SSK has reviewed existing literature on dose-response relationships between UV exposure and UV-induced skin cancer, concluding that it is currently not possible to evaluate dose-response relationships for skin cancer research properly. For this reason, the SSK provides a statement on how the databases could be improved to establish and evaluate the dose-response relationship for the association of UV radiation and skin cancer.