THE MOSS REPORTS Newsletter (12/12/04)

[Guest guest]

12 Dec 2004 20:10:15 -0000

" Cancer Decisions " <

 

 

THE MOSS REPORTS Newsletter (12/12/04)

 

 

----------------------

Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D. Weekly CancerDecisions.com

Newsletter #162 12/12/04

----------------------

 

 

 

THE MOSS REPORTS

 

 

Moderation in all things – it may be a cliché but it is undeniably

sound advice, particularly when it comes to maintaining good health.

 

In recent years, largely as a result of a determined campaign by the

dermatology profession, the idea that sunlight is inherently dangerous

has taken root in the public consciousness to such an extent that

deliberate sunlight avoidance has now become routine. But is this

wise? A

growing number of dissenters within the medical profession and

biological sciences think not. Indeed, there are some indications that

stringent avoidance of sunlight, far from being prudent and healthful,

may

actually be contributing to the development of several diseases,

including

multiple sclerosis and certain cancers, such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

 

The keyword here is 'moderation'. No one suggests throwing caution to

the wind and scorching one's skin at every opportunity. But good

sense – and now good science – tell us that sunlight is something we all

need, and that over-avoidance is directly harmful to our health.

 

For the past thirty years I have been studying and chronicling the

changing world of cancer and its treatment. In an effort to provide

cancer

patients and their families with a complete and objective overview of

available treatments, both conventional and alternative, I have written

more than 200 reports, The Moss Reports, each one dealing in depth with

a specific kind of cancer.

 

If you would like to order a Moss Report for yourself or for someone

you love, you can do so from our website, www.cancerdecisions.com, or by

calling Diane at 1-800-980-1234 (814-238-3367 from outside the US).

 

We look forward to helping you.

 

 

SUNLIGHT AND LYMPHOMA

 

 

Scientists have sometimes put forward the theory that exposure to

ultraviolet radiation from the sun might be a risk factor for the

development of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) (Bentham 1996). Here was

yet another

argument, they suggested, for avoiding prolonged contact with Old Sol.

While blistering sun exposure is undoubtedly associated with an

increased risk of several types of skin cancer, a solid link between

sunlight

and NHL has never yet been proven. And indeed, a recent report from the

University of Sydney, Australia, has turned this theory on its head,

demonstrating that far from inducing NHL, sunlight may in fact offer

protection from the disease.

 

Published in December 2004, this is the first epidemiological study to

examine the association between sunlight and NHL using direct

measurements of sun exposure in individual subjects. The study, which

reviews

sun exposure over a time span of six decades, compares 704 Australian

adults (between the ages of 20 and 74) who had a confirmed diagnosis of

NHL, to 694 control subjects without NHL. The control subjects were

randomly selected and then matched to the NHL patients by age, sex and

place

of residence. A questionnaire and telephone interview were used to

determine the number of hours spent outdoors on working and nonworking

days

and vacations.

 

Contrary to expectations, the risk of NHL fell with increasing hours of

sun exposure. The chance of getting NHL was 35 percent less in that

portion of the study population that had the most sun exposure

compared to

the portion that had the least. The impact was even greater when the

scientists looked at sun exposure on non-working days. People who got a

lot of sun exposure on weekends and holidays had less than half the

incidence of NHL compared to those who stayed indoors on their days

off. It

was a remarkable difference.

 

" Our results provide strong statistical evidence for an inverse

association between sun exposure and NHL, " Prof. Anne Kricker and her

School

of Public Health coauthors wrote in the International Journal of Cancer

(Hughes 2004). Since sun exposure produces vitamin D in the skin, these

findings suggest that this essential vitamin, best known for preventing

rickets (a deficiency disease resulting in a weakening of the bones),

may also protect against some deadly forms of cancer, including

lymphoma. In scientific terms, the authors say that it makes " UV-mediated

synthesis of vitamin D a plausible mechanism whereby sun exposure might

protect against NHL. "

 

 

Grant's Study

 

 

These results were anticipated in a previous ecologic study of NHL

mortality rates in the US carried out by William B. Grant, PhD, of the

Sunlight, Nutrition And Health Research Center of San Francisco (Grant,

2002). (An ecologic study investigates the characteristics of a

disease in

a whole population.) In that study, NHL mortality rates were also found

to be inversely correlated with ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation from the

sun. Grant's most recent work indicates that not only is solar UVB

radiation dose an important risk reduction factor, but also that city

living is itself a risk factor, attributable to reduced UVB doses

received

by urban dwellers (Grant and Garland, in preparation). In November,

2004, the results of Dr. Grant's 2002 published study were confirmed by

Japanese researchers who analyzed the effect of sunlight on the incidence

of digestive tract cancers (Mizoue, 2004). This adds additional support

to the idea that solar UVB radiation, through the production of vitamin

D, might be an important cancer risk reduction factor.

 

" While NHL is often found associated with basal cell carcinoma,

squamous cell carcinoma, and malignant melanoma, the reason for this

association is not fully understood, " said Dr. Grant, " although it

could be that

systemic immunosuppression is involved " (Grant 2004). Nevertheless,

the inverse relationship between UVB radiation and NHL indicates that

vitamin D most likely plays an important role in preventing cancer.

 

Grant emphasizes, however, that those who receive excessive UV

radiation doses, beyond the amount required for adequate vitamin D

production,

may be putting themselves at increased risk for NHL. This points to the

need for moderation in all things, including sun exposure.

 

 

Major Importance

 

 

The issue is of considerable importance. There will be 54,370 new cases

of NHL in the US in 2004. Although there are some modestly effective

treatments available for NHL, the annual number of US deaths from the

disease is 19,410 (ACS 2004). Between 1973 and 1996 the incidence of NHL

increased by 81 percent.

 

Nor is the US alone: 286,000 people are diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's

lymphoma worldwide every year and approximately 161,000 die from the

disease, according to International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)

estimates for the year 2000. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is the most rapidly

increasing kind of cancer, after lung cancer and non-melanoma skin

cancer.

 

The NCI has attributed this increase variously to genetic and

treatment-related immunodeficiencies, exposure to viruses, pesticides and

occupational chemicals (JNCI 1999). Should we now add watching TV

instead of

getting some sun in the park as a new risk factor for NHL?

 

 

Dermatologists' Stance

 

 

Unfortunately, while the evidence of the benefits of sunlight daily

becomes more persuasive, the dermatology profession continues vigorously

to promote a policy of sunlight avoidance. Dermatologists tend to regard

unprotected sun exposure as a grave danger, analogous in scale and

seriousness to the risks of unprotected sex. The NCI enthusiastically

endorses this wrong-headed policy, stating that " n general, increased

exposure to the sun—especially without adequate use of sunscreen and

protective clothing—increases the chances of getting skin cancer. "

While it

is true that excessive amounts of sunlight do increase the risk of skin

cancer, moderate amounts are not dangerous. The NCI also ignores the

bigger point: a moderate amount of sunlight protects against some of the

most dangerous internal cancers, including NHL.

The US government has even set a " Healthy People 2010 Target " to

increase to 75 percent the proportion of adults who are very likely to

use

sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher, wear protective clothing, or seek

shade (NCI 2004). In this topsy-turvy world, the sun (which, after all,

is the source of all life on this planet) is seen as a health threat.

Since the government cannot ban sunlight, it tells us to save ourselves

from the Great Carcinogen in the Sky by slathering on sunscreens and

scurrying for the shade.

Yet commercial sunscreens are not without potential dangers themselves.

Most American sunscreens contain synthetic chemicals such as

benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone), PABA and PABA esters (ethyl

dihydroxypropyl PABA, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O

or octyl

dimethyl PABA), cinnamates (cinoxate, ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate,

octocrylene, octyl methoxycinnamate), salicylates (ethylhexyl salicylate,

homosalate, octyl salicylate), digalloyl trioleate, menthyl anthranilate

and avobenzone [butyl-methyoxydibenzoylmethane). According to the

skinbiology.com website, most of these chemicals generate harmful free

radicals and have estrogenic (i.e., female hormonal) activity. With the

exception of avobenzone, they are banned by the European Union. Yet this

potential danger does not concern the National Cancer Institute one whit.

Despite increasing evidence that there is no scientific basis for a

policy of strict sunlight avoidance, some in the dermatology profession

have stubbornly continued to cling to their 'sunlight is dangerous'

dogma, and to punish those mavericks who have dared to challenge the

status

quo. Early in 2004, Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD (who has written 210

PubMed-listed articles on vitamin D) was fired from his position in the

Department of Dermatology of Boston University for stating that people in

northern latitudes could benefit from 15 minutes of unprotected sun

exposure three times per week. Prof. Holick's position was based on the

best scientific evidence available today, while his critics are still

defending outdated and largely disproven concepts. This firing was an

outrage against academic freedom and a stain on the reputation of a great

academic institution. Professor Holick's dismissal, and the whole topic

of sunlight's relationship to cancer, is worthy of a Congressional

investigation.

Previous Moss Reports articles on Dr. Holick's firing:

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/071104.html

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/053004.html

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/052204.html

Acknowledgement: Special thanks to Dr. William B. Grant for his help

with the facts in this article. All opinions expressed are my own.

--Ralph W. Moss, PhD

=====================

References

American Cancer Society (ACS), Cancer Facts & Figures 2004. Retrieved

December 6, 2004 from:

http://www.cancer.org

Bentham G. Association between incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and

solar ultraviolet radiation in England and Wales. Brit Med J

1996;312:1128-1131.

Grant WB. An estimate of premature cancer mortality in the United

States due to inadequate doses of solar ultraviolet-B radiation, Cancer.

2002;94:1867-75.

(See, also, Dr. Grant's website, http://www.sunarc.org)

Grant WB, personal communication, Dec. 6, 2004.

Hughes AM, Armstrong BK, Vajdic CM, Turner J, Grulich AE, Fritschi L,

Milliken S, Kaldor J, Benke G, Kricker A. Sun exposure may protect

against non-Hodgkin lymphoma: a case-control study. Int J Cancer

2004;112:865-71.

JNCI (Anonymous) Stat Bite: U.S. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma incidence,

1973-1996. J Natl Cancer Inst 1999;91:1109. Retrieved Dec. 6, 2004 from:

http://jncicancerspectrum.oupjournals.org/cgi/content/full/jnci;91/13/1109#FIG1

Mizoue T. Ecological study of solar radiation and cancer mortality in

Japan. Health Phys 2004;87:532-8.

National Cancer Institute (NCI), Cancer Progress Report—2003. Retrieved

Dec. 7, 2004 from:

http://progressreport.cancer.gov/doc.asp?pid=1 & did=21 & chid=9 & coid=51 & mid=vpco#he\

althy

Reuters. Sunshine may ward off lymphoma. Dec. 3, 2004. Retrieved

December 6, 2004 from:

http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=healthNews & storyID=6992933

Sorensen HT, Mellemkjaer L, Nielsen GL, et al. Skin cancers and

non-hodgkin lymphoma among users of systemic glucocorticoids: a

population-based cohort study. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2004;96:709-11.

---------------

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS

The news and other items in this newsletter are intended for

informational purposes only. Nothing in this newsletter is intended to

be a

substitute for professional medical advice.

Copyright © The Internet Society (2004). This document is subject to

the rights, licenses and restrictions contained in BCP 78, and except

as set forth therein, the authors retain all their rights.

This document and the information contained herein are provided on an

" AS IS " basis and THE CONTRIBUTOR, THE ORGANIZATION HE/SHE REPRESENTS OR

IS SPONSORED BY (IF ANY), THE INTERNET SOCIETY AND THE INTERNET

ENGINEERING TASK FORCE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED,

INCLUDING

BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY WARRANTY THAT THE USE OF THE INFORMATION HEREIN

WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY RIGHTS OR ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF

MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.

This document may not be modified, and derivative works of it may not

be created.

--------------

IMPORTANT NOTICE:

If you have questions or concerns, please use our form at

http://www.cancerdecisions.com/contact.html

Thank you.

To SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER: Please go to

http://cancerdecisions.com/list/optin.php?form_id=8

and follow the instructions to be automatically added to this list.

Thank you.

=====

CancerDecisions®

PO Box 1076

Lemont, PA 16851

Phone Toll Free: 800-980-1234

From Outside the USA: 814-238-3367

FAX: 814-238-3367

=====