Scientists say drivers who spend a lot of time in the car have an increased chance of developing cancer.

It's the exposure to the sun's rays through car windows that hikes the risk of skin cancer, especially for those who drive with open windows.

In a study of 898 patients with skin cancer, it was discovered that the disease spread to the part of the body closest to the side car window. In response to this finding, doctors recommend drivers tint their car windows or use ultraviolet filters in an effort to minimize cancer risk.

It's not surprising marathon runners face an increased risk of skin cancer due to long-term sun exposure. What's surprising is that so many are not taking measures to protect themselves from the sun's damaging rays.

A team of Austrian researchers, all of them dermatologists, became interested in studying long-distance runners when they realized they had collectively treated eight ultra-marathon runners with malignant skin cancer over a period of 10 years. All researchers are themselves enthusiastic runners, and two of them participate in marathons. The topic was near and dear to their hearts.

Research was conducted on white runners, so it is unclear if the findings -- listed below -- apply to black runners.

• Only 56 percent of runners in the study reported wearing sunscreen. Most were unaware of the increased risk to their skin -- and even the running researchers report it is good to be reminded to wear the right gear and regularly use sunscreen

• Many runners race with a lot of skin exposed. And sometimes training clothing covers different areas than racing clothing. Shoulders that are covered during training may be exposed during the long hours of a marathon. During triathlons, most wear a bathing suit for the duration of the event, leaving most skin susceptible to burning. Runners can lower their risk by training during morning and evening hours and wearing water-resistant sunscreen. They can wear clothing made of new fabrics that screen harmful ultraviolet rays.

• It's possible that endurance athletes may have suppressed immune systems caused by repeated tissue damage, leaving them more vulnerable to skin cancer.

While some marathon runners take pride in a bronzed skin -- proof they are running in the elements -- researchers hope runners will consider the risk they face. In some races, volunteers offer to quickly apple sunscreen on athletes who don't want to lose precious seconds as they race for the finish line. It's a start.

I wish I could reverse the damage I've already done to my skin after too much time spent in the scorching sun, in search of a tan. It's seems unfair that a tan is so temporary -- yet its damage is everlasting. And it seems crazy that so many people are still searching for a tan -- when it has become so clear that is it so harmful.

As many as 60,000 people a year die from too much sun -- mostly from malignant skin cancer -- according to the World Health Organization (WHO). About 48,000 deaths are caused by malignant melanomas, and 12,000 deaths are caused by other kinds of skin cancer. And 90 percent of these cancers are caused by ultraviolet light from the sun. Cancer is not the only side effect of sun exposure, though -- serious sunburn, wrinkling, eye cataracts, growths on the flesh of the eye, cold sores, and other illness can result from the sun.

We all need some sun -- the vitamin D that is produced in the body by the sun helps to prevent disease and immune disorders. But too much is dangerous and sometimes deadly. Yet almost all ill effects from the sun can be prevented. And the WHO has released a report that advises people to seek shade, to use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, and to stay out of tanning salons. The report operates under the premise that sunscreens be used not to prolong sun exposure but to protect the skin when exposure is unavoidable.

If you don't think staying out in the sun for long periods of time puts you at greater risk for skin cancer -- or that a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen are all you need to be safe from the damaging rays of the sun -- you might be interested in what MoleMap, a melanoma surveillance program in Australia, discovered during a study of New Zealand farmers and skin cancer rates. I was surprised -- and not in a good way -- by the results of the study.

According to the study, these farmers take sun safety very seriously and observe most of the advised sun safety practices of wearing wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, protective clothing and sunscreen. Yet, with all those preventive measures, half of the New Zealand farmers, or close family members, have been diagnosed with skin cancer. The unavoidable truth is that the work they do requires them to be out in the sun for as long as eight hours a day.

MoleMap general manager Gavin Foulsham is quoted as saying, "We are getting absolutely hammered with ultraviolet rays from the hole in the ozone layer, and our skies are very clean, so we don't get the protective benefits of pollution either, which ironically caused the hole in the first place." The farmers are being asked to pay close attention to any changes to the skin that could indicate skin cancer and to get it checked right away. For all of us who are not required to work outdoors, this is a cautionary tale of why it is essential to take sun safety seriously and to stay out of the sun for long periods of time.

For sun worshipper Shonda Schilling, being diagnosed with Stage 2 melanoma was an unbelievable shock and a life-changing wake up call to the dangers of too much sun. As a result, Shonda and her husband Curt Schilling -- former Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher -- founded the Shade Foundation in a mission to eradicate melanoma through the education of children and the community in the prevention and detection of skin cancer and the promotion of sun safety.

The Shade Foundation provides shade structures for recreational areas on school grounds, and offers an extensive online resource of educational information and programs to raise awareness for sun safety. According to the American Academy of Dermatology and Shade Foundation, skin cancer is an unrecognized epidemic. Statistically, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer, and the diagnosis of younger adults with skin cancer has increased sharply. Half of all new cancers in the United States are skin cancers.

To be sun safe when going outdoors, they recommend sunscreen, a broad-brimmed hat and sunglasses. And stay away from tanning beds -- because occasional yet intense UVA exposure from tanning beds actually poses a greater risk of melanoma skin cancer than does spending long hours in the sun. To learn more about sun safe activities for kids and young adults, programs, educational materials, and creating shade, visit the Shade Foundation.