Blue-eyed people face greater risk of deadly skin cancer

New research suggests that genes tied to blue eyes and red hair could put people at higher risk for moles or freckling in childhood, which are often precursors to the deadly skin cancer melanoma later in life, NewsMax Health reports.

However, the finding in no way suggests that the risk can't be reduced by prudent avoidance of cancer-causing UV sunlight, especially in childhood, the researchers said.

"We think if you can modify behaviors related to sun exposure in children, it will probably make a difference for their well-being in later life with respect to melanoma," said lead researcher Neil Box, an assistant professor in the department of dermatology at the University of Colorado in Denver.

For the study, Box's team took DNA samples and gathered information on sun exposure from 477 white children, ages 6 to 10.

Following the children from 2004 to 2008, the researchers found that the number of moles and freckles increased each year, as did the number of total number of sunburns, waterside vacations and chronic sun exposure.

The increasing sun exposure was directly tied to the rise in freckles, Box said.

What's more, children with a gene variant tied to blue eyes were more susceptible to the development of moles compared to kids without the gene, particularly if they took more beach vacations, he said.

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