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Sunlight cuts risk of many cancers

 

 

By Roger Dobson

 

 

Published: 21 October 2007

 

 

Sunbathing, considered risky by skin cancer experts, may actually reduce the

risk of breast and other cancers, new research has found.

 

Some women who had higher sun exposure had their risk of advanced breast

cancer reduced by almost half, according to the scientific study.

 

The researchers from Stanford University, who report their findings in the

American Journal of Epidemiology this week, said: " This study supports the

idea that sunlight exposure reduces risk of advanced breast cancer among

women with light skin pigmentation.''

 

The Stanford cancer specialists measured 4,000 women aged 35 to 79, half of

them diagnosed with breast cancer, for the effects of long-term sun

exposure.

 

Sun exposure may also protect against a number of other cancers, according

to a second research team who studied more than four million people in 11

countries, including 416,000 who had been diagnosed with skin cancer.

 

These results, reported in the European Journal of Cancer, show that the

risk of internal cancers after skin cancers was lower among people living in

sunny countries.

 

The researchers said: " Vitamin D production in the skin seems to decrease

the risk of several solid cancers, especially stomach, colo-rectal, liver

and gall- bladder, pancreas, lung, female breast, prostate, bladder and

kidney cancers. "

 

Sunlight plays a vital role in the production of beneficial vitamin D in the

body. Although food provides some vitamin D, up to 90 per cent comes from

exposure to sunlight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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