In The News This Week … Feb. 6–12, 2005: Safe to Sun?

Here we are in the middle of winter! Of course, not everyone lives in northern areas, and even for those that do, spring break, with its traditional escape to warm, sunny lands, is not that far off. So, here are some things from the recent news about the sun:

Two studies, which appeared in the February 2, 2005 Journal of the National Cancer Institute, suggest that exposure to the sun may not be as risky as commonly believed.

The first, Sun Exposure and Mortality from Melanoma, looked at 528 patients with cutaneous melanoma who were followed for an average of more than five years. The surprising results: "Sunburn, high intermittent sun exposure, skin awareness histories, and solar elastosis [a histological indicator of sun-damaged skin] were statistically significantly inversely associated with death from melanoma" while "Melanoma thickness, mitoses, ulceration, and anatomic location on the head and neck were statistically significantly positively associated with melanoma death" (our italics). Researchers thus concluded: "Sun exposure is associated with increased survival from melanoma."

The second, Ultraviolet Radiation Exposure and Risk of Malignant Lymphomas, looked at 3,740 patients with malignant lymphomas and 3,187 control patients. The results? "A history of high UV exposure was associated with reduced risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The positive association between skin cancer and malignant lymphomas is, therefore, unlikely to be mediated by UV exposure."

In light (ha!) of all of this research, the editorial from this issue suggests that a key factor may be the vitamin D synthesized by the skin with sun exposure.

Now this is something to contemplate while you sit on the beach.

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