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Sun Exposure May Reduce Risk of Lung Cancer

Posted Dec 18, 07 10:50 AM CST in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Lack of exposure to sunlight may increase the risk of lung cancer, a study of 111 countries shows. Smoking is the risk factor most closely associated with the disease, accounting for as many as 85% of cases, but limited access to UV rays is second, the Telegraph reports. Vitamin D, which is generated by exposure to the sun, can slow or even halt tumor growth, reports the BBC.

Countries closer to the equator exhibited lower rates of lung cancer than countries farther away, whose residents have fewer hours of sun exposure. Vitamin D stimulates the release of chemicals that, when combined with calcium, can bind cells more tightly and slow the explosion of cell division that results in cancer. But sun exposure is no panacaea: Too much boosts the risk of skin cancer.

Sources Daily Telegraph (UK), BBC

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New research concludes that increases in the incidence of lung cancer can be linked to lack of exposure to the sun.   ((c) nfarley)
An X-ray CAD (computer-aided detection) technology detects suspicious nodules that may be early-stage lung cancer, leading to improved patient survival rates. (PRNewsFoto/Cleveland Clinic and Riverain...   (Associated Press)
New research concludes that increases in the incidence of lung cancer can be linked to lack of exposure to the sun.   ((c) cjohnson7)
___UPF_START_OF_TABLE___Document NameLIFE HEALTH-SUNSCREEN OSDocument DateApr/6/2006PhotographerBarbara V. PerezFormat2200 x 1355 Color JPEGCategoryA DIVKeywordskrtcampus campus, krtfeatures features,   (KRT Photos)
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lung cancer • skin cancer • tumors • vitamin D • oncology


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