Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute have found that certain people may be carriers of the “quiet” red hair gene, which increases the risk of skin cancer by several times, according to Pannochka, an online publication for girls and women aged 14 to 35. net According to experts, one in four residents of the UK is the carrier of such a gene. The effect of the gene can be compared with two decades of exposure to the sun - this is the equivalent of the malignant cellular changes that it causes.

People with two copies of the MC1R gene, which is responsible for skin cancer, are always freckled, have pale skin and red hair. About a quarter of the UK population carries one version of the gene, which puts them at risk for melanoma.

According to researchers, about 42% of cancer patients had at least one genetic variation in MC1R. To minimize the risk of skin cancer, scientists advise people with red hair and freckles to use sunscreen not only in the summer, but also at other times of the year..

medicinform. net.