Surprising Skin Cancer Risk: Too Much Driving Long hours behind
the wheel may increase the risk of skin cancer, according to a
surprising new study. Facial skin cancers were found to occur
more often on the left-side — the side that's next to the window
while driving — among a group of about 1,050 patients in Saint
Louis. The findings were most significant for men. While the
results show only an association (not a cause-effect link) and
would need to be replicated in a larger population to be viewed
as firm, they call attention to what might be overlooked by
otherwise sun-conscious citizens — exposure to UV rays through
the car window. "Drivers need to be aware of the amount of sun
exposure they receive behind the wheel," said study researcher
Dr. Scott Fosko, chair of dermatology at Saint Louis University
School of Medicine. "The cumulative effect of being exposed to
the sun builds up over many years." Sunlight is mostly made up
of two types of ultraviolet rays: UVA and UVB. Exposure to UVB
causes sunburn, a