USPSTF: Fair-Skinned Children and Young Adults Should Be Counseled About Minimizing UV Exposure

Children and young adults aged 10 to 24 years who have fair skin should be counseled about limiting their exposure to ultraviolet radiation to lower their risk for skin cancer, according to a new recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (B recommendation).

The statement, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, notes that evidence is insufficient to recommend for or against such counseling for people over age 24. These recommendations apply only to asymptomatic individuals with no history of skin cancer.

The statement updates the task force's 2003 guidance, which concluded that evidence was insufficient to recommend for or against routine counseling for patients of all ages.

Journal Watch Dermatology Editor-in-Chief Dr. Hensin Tsao writes that with this updated guidance and recommendations from other professional groups, "a united front is emerging to provide a single message: Younger patients and their families need to understand the risks of early sun and indoor tanning exposure and practice risk reductive practices."