Increased sun exposure is linked to risk of skin cancer, research shows

The Verdict [False]
Research from reputable sources shows that increased sun exposure elevates the risk of developing skin cancer, rather than preventing or treating it.

The claim

A viral post on Instagram (archived here) has reached more than 10,300 users and claims that “there is no correlation between increased sun exposure and skin cancer.”

It also makes several misleading and sometimes contradictory statements on the topic.

The clip features Robert Barefoot, who was previously ordered by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission to cease making misleading health claims.

In the clip, Barefoot makes several statements:

He asserts that northern U.S. states have more than twice the cancer rates of southern U.S. states. According to Barefoot, this discrepancy is because “vitamin D,” produced by sunlight, “breaks down the cancer telomere and kills cancer instantly.”
He further claims that “vitamin D allows the body to absorb 20 times as much calcium, which floods the body with oxygen, and that oxygen would terminate cancer.”
Barefoot also states that Black people in the U.S. who “do not sunbathe have three times the cancer rates,” in contrast to Black people in Africa, who, in his view, are “naked on the beach and do not have cancer.”
The video concludes with Barefoot’s statement that “not only does the sun prevent cancer, but it also completely eliminates it.”

Additionally, the video’s description compares skin cancer rates across Europe, highlighting that countries like Ireland, Sweden, Norway, and Denmark have some of the highest rates, while Greece, Spain, and Italy have some of the lowest.

However, this interpretation of the correlation between cancer rates and regional differences – suggesting that stronger sun exposure leads to less cancer – is misleading. It is also false to claim that there is no correlation between increased sun exposure and skin cancer or that the sun eliminates cancer.

Why are melanoma of the skin rates higher in the South?

First, we examine the claim that northern U.S. states have more than twice the cancer rates of southern states, with a similar trend in Europe.

While Barefoot does not specify which type of cancer he is referring to, the post caption specifically mentions skin cancer.

Melanoma, the form of skin cancer most strongly linked to sun exposure and responsible for most skin cancer deaths, is, therefore, the most relevant set of data to this claim.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (USCS) database shows that in 2021, the latest year with available incidence data, 90,365 new cases of melanoma were reported in the U.S. The American Cancer Society predicts over 104,000 cases will be diagnosed in 2025.

The USCS database confirms that in some northern states – defined broadly as U.S. states and regions located in the northernmost part of the country, including but not limited to those along the Canadian border – melanoma rates can be up to twice as high as in some southern states.

For example, in Vermont, the age-adjusted incidence rate of melanoma in 2021 was 35.8 per 100,000 people across all races and ethnicities, one of the highest in the country. In contrast, New Mexico had a significantly lower rate of 17.3 per 100,000 people.

However, it is not the case that all southern states have low melanoma rates or that all northern states have high rates. For instance, in New York, the rate in 2021 was relatively low at 17.9 per 100,000, whereas in Arizona, it was notably higher at 32.6 per 100,000 people.

A study published in the International Journal of Cancer also found that northern states have among the highest melanoma risk, with elevated rates in several states along both the East and West Coasts, including Hawaii.

However, regardless, there’s no evidence that disparities in melanoma rates are due to “vitamin D” from the sun “breaking down the cancer telomere and killing cancer instantly.”

UV-attributable melanoma rates remain high in states with both high and low UV indices. For example, despite the relatively lower UV index in states like Minnesota and Idaho, melanoma rates are still elevated. A study published in Archives of Dermatological Research also found that a higher mean UV index was significantly associated with an increase in melanoma incidence in non-Hispanic whites.

This is likely due to a combination of factors such as high outdoor activity and inadequate sun protection, according to the American Cancer Society. Additionally, high melanoma rates are influenced by ethnicity, UV strength, indoor tanning, and lack of early detection, according to City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute.

A similar trend is also observed in Europe, where skin melanoma made up four percent of new cancer diagnoses and 1.3 percent of cancer deaths in the 27 EU member states in 2020. The highest incidence rates were in Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, and Germany, while the lowest were in Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Portugal, and Poland.

Research in the European Journal of Cancer shows that the Nordic region, despite limited sunlight, experiences intense UV radiation during summer. This leads to higher melanoma rates, exacerbated by fair skin and sunburn susceptibility. Sweden’s Karolinska Institute links increased sunbathing and travel to sunny destinations to higher melanoma risk.

Can vitamin D produced by sun exposure prevent skin cancer?

The claim that “vitamin D allows the body to absorb 20 times as much calcium, flooding the body with oxygen, which would then eliminate cancer” is also false.

Research funded by the World Cancer Research Fund has shown that while vitamin D may offer some anti-skin cancer benefits, it is not strong enough to prevent skin cancer.

The findings indicate that elevated vitamin D levels cannot counteract high sun exposure and emphasize that sun exposure should not be used to boost vitamin D.

Furthermore, a report in the journal Nutrients recommends continued sun protection for individuals at risk of skin cancer or with a personal history of the disease.

Can Black people in Africa develop cancer?

Finally, it is incorrect to say that Black people who do not sunbathe in the U.S. get cancer while Black people in Africa do not.

While the incidence of melanoma is lower in the Black population than in white people – according to the American Cancer Society, the lifetime risk of developing melanoma is about three percent (1 in 33) for white people and 0.1 percent (1 in 1,000) for Black people – skin cancer still occurs. This is the case for Black people worldwide.

It is, therefore, false to suggest that black people in Africa do not get skin cancer.

Research published in the immunology journal Immunity, Inflammation, and Disease shows that in South Africa, more than 50 percent of squamous cell carcinoma lesions — a common type of skin cancer that occurs on sun-exposed areas of the skin — are found on the heads and necks of black males. This is because men often cut their hair, making the head more vulnerable to sun exposure.

The verdict

Research from reputable sources shows that increased sun exposure elevates the risk of developing skin cancer rather than preventing or treating it, regardless of race.

This article is written by Klara Širovnik and republished from Logically Facts. Read the original article here.