COPENHAGEN -- Even the experts are failing to heed warnings about skin cancer, a conference heard on Monday.

A British nurse who developed a test about skin cancer awareness said the experts may know all about the dangers, but they were still getting too much sun.

"My study showed that they were continuing to expose themselves intentionally to undesirable amounts of UV (ultraviolet) radiation, despite their universally high awareness of risk factors for malignant melanoma," said Kerry Guile, a senior chemotherapy nurse at St George's Hospital in London. Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer. It accounts for roughly 10 percent of reported cases of the illness and can spread rapidly throughout the body, forming secondary tumors.

Guile gave the test, which includes 30 questions about skin cancer awareness and how to protect against it, to four groups of health workers, including cancer specialists and nurses, and to the public, Reuters reported.

Not surprisingly, the cancer experts knew most about the disease, but it did not translate into behavior changes.

"These findings are consistent with studies in some other populations: It means that assumptions by public health bodies that improving awareness of the risk of sun exposure will reduce the incidence of melanoma are probably not correct," said Guile. Melanoma affects about 133,000 people each year, with most cases in Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Doctors advise use of sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. Hats and sunglasses are also recommended.

People should also avoid sunbathing between 11 in the morning and three in the afternoon when the sun is strongest.

About 10,000 cancer specialists are attending the four-day meeting here of the European Cancer Conference ECCO 12.