Sun-D Trial

Balancing the risks and benefits of sun exposure is challenging. Most skin cancers are caused by exposing our skin to the sun. Australia has the highest rate of skin cancer in the world. Every year about 16,000 people are diagnosed with melanoma, and around 1,400 people die. We spend nearly a billion dollars managing skin cancer each year.

Regular sunscreen application reduces the risk of skin cancer, but it may also reduce vitamin D production, increasing the risk of vitamin D deficiency. The Sun-D Trial aimed to test whether following Australian guidelines to apply sunscreen as part of the usual daily routine on all days when the UV Index is forecast to reach 3 or greater could lead to lower 25 hydroxy vitamin D and a greater risk of vitamin D deficiency.

The Sun-D Trial was the first large trial to investigate the effect of applying SPF 50+ sunscreen on vitamin D.