A senior United States senator is pushing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to come clean on research suggesting that some common sunscreen chemicals might actually cause cancer themselves.

“With the recent reports suggesting a possible link between skin cancer and a common chemical found in sunscreens, the FDA must act now to protect consumers,” Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., wrote in a letter to FDA. “When it comes to the health and safety of the public, there is no room for delay.”

Schumer’s letter came on the heels of a recent Environmental Working Group report questioning the chemicals and the lack of adequate product safety testing in most sunscreens on the market. AOL News authored a story showing that FDA claimed to be unaware of research questioning sunscreen chemicals even though FDA conducted some of the research.

“AOL News reported in May that almost half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain retinyl palmitate, a derivative of vitamin A, according to researchers at Environmental Working Group,” AOL News reported in a story this week.

“Studies for toxicity and carcinogenicity from sunlight exposure to the chemical are complex and time consuming. But an FDA risk assessor told AOL News today that, even though the initial findings were preliminary and more work had to be done, ‘it would have been more prudent to tell the public what those early results showed and allow consumers to weigh the risk for themselves.’” AOL reported.

To read the AOL News story click here.

http://www.aolnews.com/nation/article/sen-chuck-schumer-tells-fda-to-speed-up-study-of-sunscreens/19515608