Could 'sunlight robbery' be causing cancer?

[Editor-in-Chief]

Could 'sunlight robbery' be causing cancer?

By Peter Pallot

Has the medical world gone overboard in its campaign against sunbathing?

British tanners recently received their annual stark warning from Cancer Research UK as it launched its SunSmart drive.

The focus by the Government-backed charity was on the threat posed by the most deadly form of skin cancer. Cases of malignant melanoma, which affect 7,300 people a year in Britain, causing 1,600 deaths, were rising sharply, said Professor Brian Diffey of Newcastle General Hospital.

By 2035 there could be 21,000 new cases a year as those badly sunburned in the 1980s and 1990s suffer the long-term effects, he said.

His claims are not disputed. But some specialists are coming to the view that, while excessive exposure and burning is unquestionably dangerous, people who diligently avoid sunlight could be increasing the risk of other cancers.

Doctors in Australia last month issued a statement sharply revising their sun exposure guidelines.

Professor Bruce Armstrong, of Sydney University, said: "It's a revolution. I have worked in public health and have been preaching sun avoidance for 25 years. But this statement says there are two sides to the story."

The Australian rethink was triggered by findings of widespread vitamin D deficiency in one of the world's sunniest countries. The Cancer Council of Australia said: "A balance is required in avoiding the risk of skin cancer and achieving enough ultraviolet radiation exposure to achieve adequate vitamin D levels."

The council said mild vitamin D deficiency was noted in 43pc of females and moderately severe deficiency in 11pc during winter in Geelong, near Melbourne.







Bondi Beach could be good for your health At 38 deg S, Geelong must provide a useful comparison for expatriates in the Mediterranean sunspots - Sicily is the same distance from the equator, as is Spain's Costa Blanca. The Costa del Sol is a touch nearer at 37 deg N.


Belief that the sun exposure pendulum has swung too far towards total cover-up is backed by Professor Brian Wharton, chairman of the British Nutrition Foundation.

He said: "We do need some sensible use of the sun and we have been swinging too strongly against it."

Advice that appears to have taken hold in some quarters to avoid the sun entirely is "draconian and unnecessary" according to Neil Walker, chairman of the UK Skin Cancer Working Party.

Dr Richard Petty, medical director of the Wellman Clinic in London, said men needed exposure to sun for 20 minutes a day to achieve proper levels of Vitamin D.

Some fear that the medical establishment, in its keenness to ram home the hazards of sunburn, has underrated the importance of vitamin D in fighting a wide range of cancers.

Only small amounts of Vitamin D are derived from food. Sunlight is the big generator. Vitamin D can be stored in the body for up to 60 days - suggesting that by the end of winter many people are deficient.

Evidence suggests that stopping deficiency in the vitamin is more important than previously realised in preventing 16 different types of cancer as well as nervous system diseases, osteoporosis and diabetes.

Soaking up sunlight - photo-therapy - is thought to have a key role in preventing breast and prostate cancer because the vitamin acts as a vital steroid hormone.

The Health Research Forum, which collects scientific data on the issues, claims that "sunlight robbery" is actually causing more cancer than would otherwise be caused by moderate natural exposure. The myth that sun equals cancer is strongest in the USA, it says.

Provided no burning occurs, it seems hard to deny that the yellow ball has a powerful positive psychological influence on us all - and that might extend to physiological factors too.

As well as urging people to avoid burning, the SunSmart campaign emphasised the need to seek medical advice sooner.

Professor Brian Diffey said people should monitor moles and skin blemishes and report changes.

"Acting promptly can save lives, and early detection and treatment will give many melanoma patients an excellent prognosis."

Dr Catherine Harwood, of St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospital, said: "Signs to watch out for include a mole getting bigger, a mole with a ragged outline or with a mixture of different shades of brown and black. If a mole gets inflamed or starts to bleed or itch, then get it checked out."

Source