The links between sunbathing and skin cancer are by no means established,
whatever the Department of Health and manufacturers of sunscreens
tell us.
Here are some more interesting findings ...
Whilst a study of 58 cases of malignant melanoma found
a statistically significant correlation between fair skin,
blue eyes, sunburn and the number of moles patients had,
it could find no correlation with intense intermittent exposure
to the sun during holidays
A joint study by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical
Medicine and the University of Sydney's melanoma clinic
found that the incidence of melanomas was considerably higher
in office workers than in outdoors workers regularly exposed
to the sun's rays
One study found that the lowest risk of skin cancer was
in those whose main outdoor activity was ... sunbathing!
Research showed that people working under fluorescent lighting
all day have double the risk of developing melanomas as
outdoors workers
The New York School of Medicine carried out two studies
which demonstrated that exposure to fluorescent light can
cause skin cell mutation. Dr. F. Alan Anderson, a biophysicist
with the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA), stated
that unshielded exposure to fluorescent light might account
for 5% of the radiation the average person received and
that this might be high enough to cause skin cancer in susceptible
individuals
A 1995 Swedish study found that regular exposure to organochlorine
compounds (e.g. pesticide residues in food and water) led
to substantially raised levels of skin cancer
A 1989 report from the FDA concluded that 14 out of 17
sunscreen lotions containing Para Amino Benzoic Acid (PABA)
might cause skin cancer
Research clearly demonstrated the links between diet and
skin cancer. 88 males admitted consecutively to a Melbourne
hospital for the surgical removal of skin cancers were matched
with 88 male patients admitted for minor skin surgery unrelated
to skin cancer. The researchers identified a statistically
significant inverse (reduced risk) relationship between
the risk of developing skin cancer and a high intake of
vegetables and foods rich in vitamin C and beta-carotene.
Patients with skin cancer also had a lower mean serum level
of vitamin A.
A diet containing adequate levels of selenium is also thought
to protect against the harmful effects of UV radiation.
A German study found that skin cancer patients had significantly
lower levels of selenium in their blood and concluded that
"suboptimal selenium nutrition preceded the onset of
(skin cancer) and may even have contributed to its cause".
UK Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Fisheries' Food Surveillance
Sheet 51 reported that the average UK citizen gets only
half the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI), (formerly called
'Recommended Daily Allowance'), recommended by a Government
report in 1991.
Two studies of patients with a history of non-melanoma
skin cancer showed that a diet low in saturated fats significantly
reduced their risk of further occurrences
