Foot Cancer On Rise

LONDON -- Flip-flops and sandals may put wearers at risk of developing skin cancer on their feet, doctors in Britain warn. Open-toe shoes can increase chances of lesions developing as the skin is exposed to intense sunlight, a cause of skin tumors, or melanomas, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday. Cancer affecting the feet is called acral melanoma, doctors said. Research shows that only half of patients with foot melanomas survive, compared with four of five people with cancer elsewhere on their legs. Doctors say sunscreen with an SPF factor of 15 or higher should be applied to the feet, including the soles. Anthony Kontos, head of the clinic at the Hospital of St John and St Elizabeth, said patients usually mista...