The most common forms affect about one in four Americans. But could something you eat or drink cut your risk in half? Experts point to new science surrounding a common supplement.
Skin cancer runs in David Black's family.
"All I remember is my father always was getting skin cancers taken off," he said.
Black depends on sunscreen. But as he tells his dermatologist, he can't always depend on himself.
"I'll put on sunblock once, but then I'm out hiking for hours and I never put it on again. So I definitely need something that's going to work daily," he said.
Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Teo Soleymani said a common Vitamin B3 derivative could be just what Black needs.
Researchers studied 34,000 people who took nicotinamide for 20 years.
"We saw that the group that took nicotinamide at the right dose, which was 1,000 milligrams a day or 500 milligrams twice a day, had a 54% reduction in non-melanoma skin cancer risk compared to the group that didn't," Soleymani said.
Oral nicotinamide comes in a powder or pill. Research shows it helps protect against the most common forms of skin cancer.
"Squamous cell carcinoma, which is everywhere in the United States. There's about five million cases this year of squamous cell carcinoma alone. It's the number one cause of skin cancer death," he said.
But how does an oral supplement prevent sunburns? Soleymani describes how it repairs skin DNA. It strengthens the skin's barrier, reduces inflammation and improves texture.
"And as a side effect, your skin looks better," he said.
Nicotinamide is widely available over the counter and it's inexpensive. Soleymani said it has minimal side effects and is generally well-tolerated.
"It's not a replacement for sunscreen, it works differently. I recommend that if you're using sunscreen or if you are thinking about your skin health, it is an easy, effective, low-cost supplement everybody should be on," he said.
Black is excited to have a new way to protect his skin.
"I think for me, the part that's surprising is knowing that if I could drink something, I could prevent cancer," he said.