American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS): Annual Meeting

WASHINGTON – Despite high levels of sun exposure, nearly half of collegiate athletes don't use sunscreen, according to a recent survey.

The anonymous survey of 290 athletes from two universities – one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast – found that 96% of respondents believed sunscreen would help protect them from skin cancer. Yet, 43% of the athletes surveyed reported never using sunscreen, 31% reported only using sunscreen 1-3 days per week, 18% reported using sunscreen 4-6 days per week, and 8% reported using sunscreen every day of the week.

On average, the athletes reported spending 4 hours a day outdoors for 10 months a year, said Dr. Ashley Wysong, a resident in the department of dermatology at Stanford (Calif.) University.

©Galina Barskaya/fotolia.com

With more than 400,000 NCAA collegiate athletes in universities across the nation, "An organized educational campaign by dermatologists, the NCAA, member universities, and individual coaches may be beneficial" in achieving better sun protection among college athletes, said Dr. Wysong, a former six-time NCAA All-American and national champion in middle distance running.

The survey, which included 13 outdoor sports, found that the percentage of athletes who wore sunscreen increased with the frequency of coaches or athletic administrators speaking with them about sun protection.

Survey respondents listed several reasons for not using sunscreen. The most common was forgetting to use it (63%), followed by inconvenience of use (41%), and "I like to be tan" (39%). Other reasons the athletes reported for not using sunscreen included: belief that they don’t burn (35%), the greasy feel of sunscreen (34%), and the time it takes for application (22%).

Not surprisingly, sunburns were common among the participants. Nearly 84% reported experiencing at least one sunburn in the past year, with 28% reporting four or more, and 10% reporting a blistering sunburn.

The majority of respondents were Fitzpatrick Skin Type I and II, but all skin types were represented in the study, the authors reported.

A few factors contributed to sunscreen use: living in the West Coast, female gender, number of sunburns in the past year, belief in the risk of skin cancer, knowing someone with skin cancer, and worry about wrinkles.

A study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati reached a similar conclusion, finding "a need for improved primary prevention of ultraviolet damage" among college athletes. The survey found that 85% of athletes at four universities reported no sunscreen use during the prior week, and only 7% reported using sunscreen at least three times during that time period (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2005;53:237-41).

Dr. Wysong said that sun protective behavior extends beyond just the athletes themselves, because "they are role models for younger kids."

To follow-up their study, the authors are planning to hand out educational literature to freshmen athletes and conduct before and after questionnaires on sunscreen use.

Dr. Wysong reported having no conflicts of interest.

WASHINGTON – Despite high levels of sun exposure, nearly half of collegiate athletes don't use sunscreen, according to a recent survey.

The anonymous survey of 290 athletes from two universities – one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast – found that 96% of respondents believed sunscreen would help protect them from skin cancer. Yet, 43% of the athletes surveyed reported never using sunscreen, 31% reported only using sunscreen 1-3 days per week, 18% reported using sunscreen 4-6 days per week, and 8% reported using sunscreen every day of the week.

On average, the athletes reported spending 4 hours a day outdoors for 10 months a year, said Dr. Ashley Wysong, a resident in the department of dermatology at Stanford (Calif.) University.

©Galina Barskaya/fotolia.com

With more than 400,000 NCAA collegiate athletes in universities across the nation, "An organized educational campaign by dermatologists, the NCAA, member universities, and individual coaches may be beneficial" in achieving better sun protection among college athletes, said Dr. Wysong, a former six-time NCAA All-American and national champion in middle distance running.

The survey, which included 13 outdoor sports, found that the percentage of athletes who wore sunscreen increased with the frequency of coaches or athletic administrators speaking with them about sun protection.

Survey respondents listed several reasons for not using sunscreen. The most common was forgetting to use it (63%), followed by inconvenience of use (41%), and "I like to be tan" (39%). Other reasons the athletes reported for not using sunscreen included: belief that they don’t burn (35%), the greasy feel of sunscreen (34%), and the time it takes for application (22%).

Not surprisingly, sunburns were common among the participants. Nearly 84% reported experiencing at least one sunburn in the past year, with 28% reporting four or more, and 10% reporting a blistering sunburn.

The majority of respondents were Fitzpatrick Skin Type I and II, but all skin types were represented in the study, the authors reported.

A few factors contributed to sunscreen use: living in the West Coast, female gender, number of sunburns in the past year, belief in the risk of skin cancer, knowing someone with skin cancer, and worry about wrinkles.

A study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati reached a similar conclusion, finding "a need for improved primary prevention of ultraviolet damage" among college athletes. The survey found that 85% of athletes at four universities reported no sunscreen use during the prior week, and only 7% reported using sunscreen at least three times during that time period (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2005;53:237-41).

Dr. Wysong said that sun protective behavior extends beyond just the athletes themselves, because "they are role models for younger kids."

To follow-up their study, the authors are planning to hand out educational literature to freshmen athletes and conduct before and after questionnaires on sunscreen use.

Dr. Wysong reported having no conflicts of interest.

WASHINGTON – Despite high levels of sun exposure, nearly half of collegiate athletes don't use sunscreen, according to a recent survey.

The anonymous survey of 290 athletes from two universities – one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast – found that 96% of respondents believed sunscreen would help protect them from skin cancer. Yet, 43% of the athletes surveyed reported never using sunscreen, 31% reported only using sunscreen 1-3 days per week, 18% reported using sunscreen 4-6 days per week, and 8% reported using sunscreen every day of the week.

On average, the athletes reported spending 4 hours a day outdoors for 10 months a year, said Dr. Ashley Wysong, a resident in the department of dermatology at Stanford (Calif.) University.

©Galina Barskaya/fotolia.com

With more than 400,000 NCAA collegiate athletes in universities across the nation, "An organized educational campaign by dermatologists, the NCAA, member universities, and individual coaches may be beneficial" in achieving better sun protection among college athletes, said Dr. Wysong, a former six-time NCAA All-American and national champion in middle distance running.

The survey, which included 13 outdoor sports, found that the percentage of athletes who wore sunscreen increased with the frequency of coaches or athletic administrators speaking with them about sun protection.

Survey respondents listed several reasons for not using sunscreen. The most common was forgetting to use it (63%), followed by inconvenience of use (41%), and "I like to be tan" (39%). Other reasons the athletes reported for not using sunscreen included: belief that they don’t burn (35%), the greasy feel of sunscreen (34%), and the time it takes for application (22%).

Not surprisingly, sunburns were common among the participants. Nearly 84% reported experiencing at least one sunburn in the past year, with 28% reporting four or more, and 10% reporting a blistering sunburn.

The majority of respondents were Fitzpatrick Skin Type I and II, but all skin types were represented in the study, the authors reported.

A few factors contributed to sunscreen use: living in the West Coast, female gender, number of sunburns in the past year, belief in the risk of skin cancer, knowing someone with skin cancer, and worry about wrinkles.

A study by researchers at the University of Cincinnati reached a similar conclusion, finding "a need for improved primary prevention of ultraviolet damage" among college athletes. The survey found that 85% of athletes at four universities reported no sunscreen use during the prior week, and only 7% reported using sunscreen at least three times during that time period (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2005;53:237-41).

Dr. Wysong said that sun protective behavior extends beyond just the athletes themselves, because "they are role models for younger kids."

To follow-up their study, the authors are planning to hand out educational literature to freshmen athletes and conduct before and after questionnaires on sunscreen use.

Dr. Wysong reported having no conflicts of interest.

WASHINGTON – The autologous cellular product azficel-T produced significant improvement in acne scarring compared with placebo, according to new study results reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

The product, Laviv (Fibrocell Science), was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds. It is the first FDA-approved personalized cell therapy for aesthetic use, according to Dr. Girish Munavalli of the dermatology department at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.

In the multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, skin biopsies were collected from 119 patients with moderate-to-severe depressed acne scarring of at least 9 cm² for at least 3 years. The biopsies were used to produce individual fibroblasts for each patient. Up to three injections of 2 mL of autologous fibroblasts (10-20 million cells/mL) were given on one cheek and placebo on the other at 14-day intervals in 99 of the patients. Treatment was administered at a dose of 0.1 mL/cm² into areas of acne scarring. Adverse events were recorded for each cheek.

At 4 months after completion of the treatment, a statistically significant higher percentage of patients had responded to treatment with azficel-T than to treatment with placebo, as rated by both the study investigators (58.7% vs. 42.2%, respectively) and patients (43.1% vs. 18.3%). Patient and evaluator assessments at earlier time points during the study also showed a significantly higher proportion of responses with azficel-T than with placebo at all but one assessment, reported Dr. Munavalli.

The study successfully met its two prospectively defined end points: a 2-point or greater improvement on a 5-point Subject Live Acne Scarring assessment scale, and a 1-point or greater reduction in cheek acne severity on a physician-assessed, validated 5-point Evaluator Live Acne Scar assessment scale.

All reported adverse events were mild or moderate in severity. No subjects experienced serious adverse events, discontinued treatment, or withdrew from the study. The incidence of adverse events occurring in the treatment areas was comparable between azficel-T and placebo. The most commonly reported adverse events were treatment-area erythema (occurring in 11.1%) and swelling (10.1%). In the azficel-T-treated area, erythema was moderate in 5 of the 12 subjects who reported it, and swelling was moderate in 5 of the 11 who reported it. In contrast, all treatment-related adverse events in the placebo-treated areas were mild.

Other adverse events with a possible relationship to study treatment included bruising, rash, irritation, nodules, pain, acne, induration, and headache, Dr. Munavalli reported.

"Our findings show that using a person's own collagen-producing cells in the form of Laviv may provide a promising new alternative to improve acne scarring with minimal downtime and an excellent safety profile," he noted.

Dr. Munavalli received research funding from Fibrocell Science.

WASHINGTON – The autologous cellular product azficel-T produced significant improvement in acne scarring compared with placebo, according to new study results reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

The product, Laviv (Fibrocell Science), was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds. It is the first FDA-approved personalized cell therapy for aesthetic use, according to Dr. Girish Munavalli of the dermatology department at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.

In the multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, skin biopsies were collected from 119 patients with moderate-to-severe depressed acne scarring of at least 9 cm² for at least 3 years. The biopsies were used to produce individual fibroblasts for each patient. Up to three injections of 2 mL of autologous fibroblasts (10-20 million cells/mL) were given on one cheek and placebo on the other at 14-day intervals in 99 of the patients. Treatment was administered at a dose of 0.1 mL/cm² into areas of acne scarring. Adverse events were recorded for each cheek.

At 4 months after completion of the treatment, a statistically significant higher percentage of patients had responded to treatment with azficel-T than to treatment with placebo, as rated by both the study investigators (58.7% vs. 42.2%, respectively) and patients (43.1% vs. 18.3%). Patient and evaluator assessments at earlier time points during the study also showed a significantly higher proportion of responses with azficel-T than with placebo at all but one assessment, reported Dr. Munavalli.

The study successfully met its two prospectively defined end points: a 2-point or greater improvement on a 5-point Subject Live Acne Scarring assessment scale, and a 1-point or greater reduction in cheek acne severity on a physician-assessed, validated 5-point Evaluator Live Acne Scar assessment scale.

All reported adverse events were mild or moderate in severity. No subjects experienced serious adverse events, discontinued treatment, or withdrew from the study. The incidence of adverse events occurring in the treatment areas was comparable between azficel-T and placebo. The most commonly reported adverse events were treatment-area erythema (occurring in 11.1%) and swelling (10.1%). In the azficel-T-treated area, erythema was moderate in 5 of the 12 subjects who reported it, and swelling was moderate in 5 of the 11 who reported it. In contrast, all treatment-related adverse events in the placebo-treated areas were mild.

Other adverse events with a possible relationship to study treatment included bruising, rash, irritation, nodules, pain, acne, induration, and headache, Dr. Munavalli reported.

"Our findings show that using a person's own collagen-producing cells in the form of Laviv may provide a promising new alternative to improve acne scarring with minimal downtime and an excellent safety profile," he noted.

Dr. Munavalli received research funding from Fibrocell Science.

WASHINGTON – The autologous cellular product azficel-T produced significant improvement in acne scarring compared with placebo, according to new study results reported at the annual meeting of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery.

The product, Laviv (Fibrocell Science), was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of moderate to severe nasolabial folds. It is the first FDA-approved personalized cell therapy for aesthetic use, according to Dr. Girish Munavalli of the dermatology department at Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, N.C.

In the multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, skin biopsies were collected from 119 patients with moderate-to-severe depressed acne scarring of at least 9 cm² for at least 3 years. The biopsies were used to produce individual fibroblasts for each patient. Up to three injections of 2 mL of autologous fibroblasts (10-20 million cells/mL) were given on one cheek and placebo on the other at 14-day intervals in 99 of the patients. Treatment was administered at a dose of 0.1 mL/cm² into areas of acne scarring. Adverse events were recorded for each cheek.

At 4 months after completion of the treatment, a statistically significant higher percentage of patients had responded to treatment with azficel-T than to treatment with placebo, as rated by both the study investigators (58.7% vs. 42.2%, respectively) and patients (43.1% vs. 18.3%). Patient and evaluator assessments at earlier time points during the study also showed a significantly higher proportion of responses with azficel-T than with placebo at all but one assessment, reported Dr. Munavalli.

The study successfully met its two prospectively defined end points: a 2-point or greater improvement on a 5-point Subject Live Acne Scarring assessment scale, and a 1-point or greater reduction in cheek acne severity on a physician-assessed, validated 5-point Evaluator Live Acne Scar assessment scale.

All reported adverse events were mild or moderate in severity. No subjects experienced serious adverse events, discontinued treatment, or withdrew from the study. The incidence of adverse events occurring in the treatment areas was comparable between azficel-T and placebo. The most commonly reported adverse events were treatment-area erythema (occurring in 11.1%) and swelling (10.1%). In the azficel-T-treated area, erythema was moderate in 5 of the 12 subjects who reported it, and swelling was moderate in 5 of the 11 who reported it. In contrast, all treatment-related adverse events in the placebo-treated areas were mild.

Other adverse events with a possible relationship to study treatment included bruising, rash, irritation, nodules, pain, acne, induration, and headache, Dr. Munavalli reported.

"Our findings show that using a person's own collagen-producing cells in the form of Laviv may provide a promising new alternative to improve acne scarring with minimal downtime and an excellent safety profile," he noted.

Dr. Munavalli received research funding from Fibrocell Science.