Several studies conclude that regular, sensible, non-burning sun exposure throughout the lifetime, and higher vitamin D levels, are healthy for the skin and related to decreased incidence of melanoma and increased melanoma survival rates
Key Points
- Two important distinctions about the relationship between sunshine exposure and skin cancer should be made: 1) intermittent, or sudden, drastic exposure to high intensity sunlight (resulting in sunburn) does increase the risk of skin cancer, and 2) regular, moderate, non-burning exposure to sunshine (sensible sunshine exposure) has been associated with lower risk of skin cancer
- Moderate, non-burning sunshine exposure initiates specific repair mechanisms within skin cells, including DNA repair enzymes and the production of local vitamin D, which work to prevent damage accumulation; vitamin D synthesized in the skin has several anti-cancer properties, including roles in cell differentiation, cell death, cell adhesion, and oxidative stress, all of which can help protect against the development of cancer
- Several studies are reviewed to demonstrate how increased, sensible sunshine exposure and increased vitamin D levels are related to decreased melanoma incidence and mortality, decreased tumor size, and improved response to melanoma treatment
The sun has gotten a bad reputation because of the association between ultraviolet (UV) exposure and skin cancers.
