ASSC Sun Exposure Summit
The sun has both risks and benefits for health. The risks are well established (skin cancer, premalignant skin lesions, cataract, pterygia) but the benefits are less clear. Generation of vitamin D is an established benefit of sun exposure, but the optimal 25(OH)D for health and the best way to achieve this is controversial. Further, evidence is emerging to suggest benefits of the sun through non-vitamin D pathways. Generating and communicating guidelines that balance the risks and benefits is challenging, and surveys suggest that clinicians and the general public are confused about this.
The Australian Skin and Skin Cancer Research Centre (ASSC) is hosting the Sun Exposure Summit, on 15-16 March, 2021. This meeting will bring together multiple stakeholder groups (including clinicians, NGOs, government agencies, specialist colleges, research institutions, policy makers, and consumers) to review the latest evidence in this debate.