A importância da fotoeducação na prevenção do câncer de pele.

Skin cancer is the most common neoplasm in Brazil and ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the sun is the main causative agent. The most accepted recommendation for prevention is to reduce sun exposure and the use of sunscreens, physical and chemical. In order to reduce the disease incidence and demonstrate that prevention is more economical than treatment, information should be presented mainly to risk groups, for a better understanding of the magnitude of the problem and to stimulate them through photoeducation as an effective measure of prevention by controlling risk factors and encouraging protective factors.  A non-systematic literature review was carried out and the PubMed, Lilacs, Scielo and google academic databases were consulted, using the following descriptors in portuguese and english: Educacao em saude/Health Education; prevencao primaria/primary prevention; neoplasia cutânea/skin neoplasm. The selected articles were those that relevantly address the topic of photoeducation to prevent skin cancer. The literature review highlights an important public health problem, which is aggravated by the lack of knowledge and information of people.  Therefore, it is noted the importance of photoeducation to the general public and mainly to the risk groups for prevention and early detection of skin cancer and consequent decrease in morbidity and mortality.