Good news for sun worshippers! Spring has finally arrived across large swathes of Europe - and when the sun shines, we can enjoy the first rays without a guilty conscience. And anyone who is short of time during the day to enjoy the spring sunshine can happily top up their vitamin D levels at the solarium.
Over the last few years, more and more studies have been taking a closer look at the links between sunlight and overall cancer risk. The most recent of these studies was carried out by a group of scientists under Prof. Elisabete Weiderpass at the Karolinska Institut in Sweden.
In this study, the researchers observed 49,261 women aged between 30 and 49 for a period of 15 years from 1991/92. Their findings show that the risk of breast cancer in women who used sunbeds was reduced by 44%. Thus, the Swedish scientists also confirmed the result of a similar French study of 10,000 women which showed a 43% reduction in the risk of breast cancer.
The study could not establish any association between cumulative sun exposure (during holidays and in the solarium) between the ages of 10 and 39 and overall cancer risk. However, spending one week a year on sunbathing vacations had an inverse association with the overall risk of cancer of 30% compared to women who never took a holiday in the sun.
"This study shows that UV light has a positive effect on the overall risk of cancer", says Ad Brand of the Sunlight Research Forum (SRF). "It's also interesting to note that solarium use evidently leads to a reduced risk of breast cancer. So we urge women to ensure they get moderate exposure to sunlight while being very careful to avoid sunburn".
Sources:
1) Prospective Study of UV Exposure and Cancer Incidence Among Swedish Women Ling Yang, Marit B. Veierød, Sven Sandin, Hans-Olov Adami, and Elisabete Weiderpass - Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, March 25, 2013 American Association for Cancer Research DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0071
2) Joint Effects of Dietary Vitamin D and Sun Exposure on Breast Cancer Risk: Results from the French E3N Cohort Pierre Engel, Guy Fagherazzi, Sylvie Mesrine, et al. 2011;20:187-198. Published Online First December 2, 2010. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev
Over the last few years, more and more studies have been taking a closer look at the links between sunlight and overall cancer risk. The most recent of these studies was carried out by a group of scientists under Prof. Elisabete Weiderpass at the Karolinska Institut in Sweden.
In this study, the researchers observed 49,261 women aged between 30 and 49 for a period of 15 years from 1991/92. Their findings show that the risk of breast cancer in women who used sunbeds was reduced by 44%. Thus, the Swedish scientists also confirmed the result of a similar French study of 10,000 women which showed a 43% reduction in the risk of breast cancer.
The study could not establish any association between cumulative sun exposure (during holidays and in the solarium) between the ages of 10 and 39 and overall cancer risk. However, spending one week a year on sunbathing vacations had an inverse association with the overall risk of cancer of 30% compared to women who never took a holiday in the sun.
"This study shows that UV light has a positive effect on the overall risk of cancer", says Ad Brand of the Sunlight Research Forum (SRF). "It's also interesting to note that solarium use evidently leads to a reduced risk of breast cancer. So we urge women to ensure they get moderate exposure to sunlight while being very careful to avoid sunburn".
Sources:
1) Prospective Study of UV Exposure and Cancer Incidence Among Swedish Women Ling Yang, Marit B. Veierød, Sven Sandin, Hans-Olov Adami, and Elisabete Weiderpass - Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, March 25, 2013 American Association for Cancer Research DOI: 10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-11-0071
2) Joint Effects of Dietary Vitamin D and Sun Exposure on Breast Cancer Risk: Results from the French E3N Cohort Pierre Engel, Guy Fagherazzi, Sylvie Mesrine, et al. 2011;20:187-198. Published Online First December 2, 2010. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev
