by Leslie Shaver

    As consumers, we are awash in medical information about the various cures and preventatives for our most serious (low cholesterol and high fiber reduces heart disease) to our most annoying (think echinacea for the common cold) ailments. The incidence of skin cancer in the United States is rising at a frightening rate, so it is only natural that products perceived to reduce such incidences would experience growth as well. And since it is generally believed that there is a link between UV radiation and the sun, products that mitigate such radiation might prove helpful in the battle against skin cancer.
    In spite of this, few window film dealers have fielded inquiries from customers about window film's relationship to cancer prevention. Furthermore, when film dealers are approached by customers about medical issues, they are, “scared to talk about them because of liability issues,” said one dealer. “However, if UV-light is linked to cancer, it is something they may want to research,” he added. While there are few definites in cancer research, information about UV's relationship to cancer can be valuable to dealers if it is not used in an irresponsible manner.

The Striking Increase in Skin Cancer

    In his book “Sun Sense,” Perry Robins, MD says there are more than 600,000 new cases of skin cancer reported every year in the United States. In comparison, there are slightly more than one million new cases of all other cancer combined every year. According to Robins, by the year 2010 more than one million cases of skin cancer are expected to occur each year.
    Even more frightening is the increase of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. Though melanoma is currently the least prevalent of these three, it is the most deadly due to its aggressive nature, according to Robins. The National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemic and End Results database reports that the incidence of melanoma has risen 80 percent during the past two decades.

The Possible Causes of Skin Cancer

    UV-radiation has been linked to skin cancer and other dermatological disorders, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. The science field has broken UV radiation into three groups of wavelengths: UVC (less than 290 manometers), UVB (290-320 manometers) and UVA rays (320-400 manometers). UVC radiation is rendered harmless to human skin because it is filtered by the ozone layer. UVB radiation, which is thought to cause sunburns and has been linked to skin cancer, is blocked partially by the ozone layer and then filtered by glass in buildings and cars, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation. UVA rays, which have also been linked to skin cancer, make up more than 90 percent of the rays that hit the earth's surface. They are not filtered by basic architectural and automotive glass.
    There is some debate about UVA rays because it is difficult to pinpoint the start of visible light on the spectrum, which is the conventional end of UVA-radiation. "It was defined during the last century as 400 nanometers by the Germans,' University of Pennsylvania dermatologist Albert M. Kligman, M.D., PhD said. "The conventional wisdom is that UVA runs from 320 manometers to 400 manometers. It conventionally ends where visible light begins."

The Controversy

    Until recently it was believed that UVB rays were a primary cause of skin cancer, however two studies documented in the American Journal of Epidemiology and Journal of the National Cancer Institute have led scientists to believe that melanoma can still develop if UVB rays are eliminated. One of these studies, conducted at the Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX, illustrated that people who use sunscreen, which blocks most UVB rays but not most UVA rays, still developed melanoma, though their incidence of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma were reduced. A Swedish study focusing on people who visit tanning beds which use UVA rays backed these conclusions. The study illustrated that people who visit tanning beds more than ten times a year are seven times more likely to develop skin cancer.
    Though these studies seem to finger UVA rays as the cause of melanoma, some in the medical field are still cautious. Kligman, who helped develop Retin-A skin cream and has authored 33 books about skin diseases, said these studies should be taken with a grain of salt. “There are studies where people have used sunscreens and they still get malignant melanoma," he said. 'The inference is that the melanoma is due to UVA, however, many of those studies are premature.”
    While he criticizes the methods of some his colleagues and the scare tactics of the media, Kligman does acknowledge that UVA may play a role in skin cancer. “We think that UVA can cause cancer,” he said. “We have done it with mice and there is evidence that it happens with people. With photo therapy and tanning beds there is a rise in pre-cancerous lesions. However, we have no good figures on cancer because you would have to do a survey of more than 100,000 people all over America.”
Though there is some uncertainty about UVA’s specific relationship to cancer, Kligman acknowledges it is suspected UVA has caused other damage to drivers. "The amount of UVA you get depends on what side of the road you are on," he said. We know that in the United States many people have blotches and wrinkles on their left arm, while their right arm is fine. This has to be due to driving."
    The Australian government, which spends a great deal of effort performing skin cancer research because of the country's location and its fair-skinned population, has developed similar conclusions. According to the Australian Radiation Laboratory (ARL), sidelites offer an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) rating of 12, which is considered moderate protection. Conversely, the laboratory reports that laminated windshields offer a UPF of more than 50, which is considered maximum protection. The organization also has figures on residential and commercial glass. It reports that residential window glass offers a UPF of ten, while glass in office buildings has a UPF rating of more than 50.

Where Does Window Film Fit In?

    The ARL suggests that window film can offer protection against UV rays. "Tinting can increase the protection against solar ultraviolet radiation," the organization reports. "Measurements made at ARL indicate that most to glass areas in cars provide maximum UPF protection of more than 50."
    Kligman also notes the value of window film protecting people from UVA rays. 'If you are a light-skinned person in your car, the protective thing to do is to add a UV-filter to your auto," he said. "However, I don't know if that will have a profound effect."
    The one major company that mentions the words “skin cancer” in its promotional material is CPFilms Inc. of Martinsville, VA, which boasts of a recommendation from The Skin Cancer Foundation for its UVShield film. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation CPFilms was required to join the organization's corporate counsel and pay a fee to be eligible to receive the recommendation. However, a spokesperson for the foundation says membership on the counsel does not guarantee a recommendation. 'The company's product has to meet our guidelines," the spokesperson said. "If you join the counsel, you are not automatically buying a seal."
    CPFilms illustrates the dangers of sunlight and describes how UVShield offers protection against the sun's rays. Though it has received some criticism for mentioning skin cancer in its literature, Lisa Winckler of CPFilms notes that her company is careful when marketing UVShield. "You have to make sure how you say it," she said. “We are very careful that we don't make medical claims. We make statements about what our film is capable of doing. For example, we will say our film shields 99.9 percent of UV light up to 380 nanometers and that UV light has been linked to cancer. However, you cannot make the leap of faith and say that your film protects against skin cancer."
    While Winckler's comments urge caution to those manufacturing, distributing, selling and applying film, other manufacturers have been reluctant to even play the medical card when marketing film.
    Steve Hojnowski of MSC Specialty Films Inc. of Clearwater, FL, said MSC films were tested by The Skin Cancer Foundation of Australia and were proven to block 99.3 to 99.9 percent of UVA light.
    Hojnowski offers an industry analogy to demonstrate why MSC does not push the medical benefits of film actively. "Some of our film can be put on glass and become bullet resistant," he said. “We do not advertise our film as bullet-resistant because it is the combinations that are important. We just say we are knocking down UV and let the doctor or someone else put two and two together."
    Johnson Window Films of Carson, CA, also offers film that blocks a high percentage of UVA rays. "Our testing shows that our film blocks a minimum of 98 per- cent of UVA rays," said Brain Smith of Johnson Window Films.
Madico of Woburn, MA, makes information about its films available to the medical community. "We have films that block 99.9 percent of UV light," said Jay Frolick. "We provide the medical community with information about our films and data on how it performs. When we are contacted by people in the medical community, we explain how our film works, send them the UV curve and let them draw their own conclusions. Anyone who uses a product for medical reasons should be certain that the product is providing the protection they need."
    Rob Martin of Westar Window Film of Largo, FL, a distributor for Israeli manufacturer Hanita considers the medical market too specialized for his company, which is just making its entrance into the United States. "We look at what we offer from an all-around standpoint," he said. "We don't claim to have specialized UV performance. However, we do have some products that have excellent UV performance.”
Film Technologies International Inc. of St. Petersburg, FL, says that its films can block up to 99.5 percent of UV rays. "You have to be careful how you claim things" said Ed Van Sant of Film Technologies International. It is similar to how you cannot say your film is hurricane proof or bullet-resistant."
    3M Specified Construction Products Department of St. Paul, MN, says most of its films block 99 percent of UVA light to 380 manometers, however it also avoids making medical claims. "We get concerned about making the leap to medical claims," said Jim Mannix. "It is important to understand that films do provide medical benefits, but they are not a panacea."
    An industry outsider, Kligman uses a very appropriate analogy to explain the pitfalls of linking window film to a reduced chance of developing skin cancer. 'It is just like sunscreens," he said. 'Can we prove that sunscreens prevent cancer? No, we cannot do that. In more than 30 years nobody has done a study to show that. But is it likely that they prevent cancer? Yes, it is."

Conclusion

    While members of the medical community seem to believe that window film could have medical benefits, they, along with members of the film industry, warn against making direct claims for the medical benefits of film. The most obvious reason is because it is impossible to determine how a piece of window film will perform after it is applied, even though it has been tested to perform under certain conditions. Martin sums this up when he says, "All substances act differently and no two have the same environment."
    Another problem in making medical claims about film is that it opens up the floodgates for consumer misunderstanding and can give them a false sense of security. Frolick uses an example to illustrate this. "If you drive your car with the windows open, you are obviously not benefiting from the protective window film,” he said. “Should a UV-related medical problem develop, we certainly would not want the driver to feel that our product failed to protect them."
    Finally, another industry insider who preferred not to be identified, sums up the issue by moving past the link between UV rays and skin cancer and into a host of other disorders. 'It is about more than just UV light," he said. "Whether it is for UV-sensitive people, visible- light-sensitive people or heat-sensitive people, you have to know the benefits of film depending on who you are trying to protect."
    In the long run, this statement may be the most accurate regarding film's ability to block UV rays, visible light and heat that are linked to cancer and other medical problems. A dealer, distributor or manufacturer who understands the strengths and weaknesses of their product, the consumer's needs and how film meets them may be the most likely to survive in today's medically-conscious society.