Sunlight may help prevent some lung cancers, according to a
study published in the January issue of the Journal of
Epidemiology and Community Health.
The study found that lower levels of the sun's ultraviolet B
(UVB) rays are associated with a higher incidence of lung cancer
across 111 countries.
In countries where people are exposed to more sunlight -- such
as Malawi and Benin -- lung cancer rates are lower than those with
fewer hours of sun, such as Britain.
"Lower levels of UVB (medium wave ultraviolet) were associated
with higher levels of lung cancer," said Dr Cedric Garland, study
senior author and professor of family and preventive medicine at
the University of California, San Diego.
However, the study also pointed out that it doesn't mean that
spending more time in the sun will ever offset the risks that come
with smoking.
It's also not an excuse to trade skin cancer for lung cancer. So
doctors recommend that people get some sunlight around 15 minutes
per day.
"The problem is that people might over-interpret this and stay
in the sun for hours," said Garland, adding, however, too little
sun isn't great either, since sunlight helps the skin manufacture
healthy vitamin D.
But other experts argued that the focus should stay on cigarette
smoking as the number one cause of lung cancer.
"When you have such a strong factor as tobacco, it really weighs
out all these other small influences," said Dr. Jay Brooks,
chairman of hematology/oncology at the Ochsner Health System in
Baton Rouge, La.
More than one million people die of lung cancer worldwide each
year. Cigarette smoking causes about 85 percent of lung
cancers.
(Agencies via Xinhua December 19, 2007)