Skin Cancer: The Dark Side of Worshiping the Sun

It was a hot July day in Amagansett, N.Y., and the noonday sun glared down at a crowded Long Island beach. Perched atop his observation stand, a bronzed lifeguard, hatless and clad only in abbreviated trunks, kept close watch on the few dozen waders and swimmers braving the still frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Around him, hundreds of sunbathers sprawled on the sand. Some, mostly older, shielded themselves from the sun's fierce rays under broad- brimmed hats and umbrellas. But much of the crowd baked contentedly in the sunlight, wearing only scanty swimsuits and little or no sunscreen. At the...