Exposure to ultraviolet radiation: association with susceptibility and age at presentation with prostate cancer

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) Vol. 358; no. 9282; pp. 641 - 642
• Main Authors: Luscombe, Christopher J, Fryer, Anthony A, French, Michael E, Liu, Samson, Saxby, Mark F, Jones, Peter W, Strange, Richard C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Elsevier Ltd 25.08.2001; Lancet; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Age; Antigens; Biological and medical sciences; Cancer; Case-Control Studies; Children; Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; England - epidemiology; Environmental Exposure; Exposure; Gynecology. Andrology. Obstetrics; Health risk assessment; Holidays & special occasions; Humans; Hypotheses; Logistic Models; Male; Male genital diseases; Medical sciences; Melanoma; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Prostate cancer; Prostatic Neoplasms - epidemiology; Prostatic Neoplasms - prevention & control; Questionnaires; Risk Factors; Skin cancer; Socioeconomic factors; Sunburn; Surveys and Questionnaires; Tumors; Tumors of the urinary system; Ultraviolet radiation; Ultraviolet Rays; Urinary tract. Prostate gland; England; United Kingdom > UK; United States > US; Human; Urinary system disease; Prostate disease; Male; Exposure; Malignant tumor; Ultraviolet radiation; Risk factor; Adult; Male genital diseases; Prostate; Age; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(01)05788-9

A positive association between latitude and prostate cancer mortality has been interpreted to indicate that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) protects against development of this cancer. We aimed to examine this hypothesis. We compared exposure between 210 cases and 155 controls. Childhood sunburn (odds ratio 0·18, 95% CI 0·08–0·38), regular foreign holidays (0·41, 0·25–0·68), sunbathing score (0·83, 0·76–0·89), and low exposure to UVR (3·03, 1·59–5·78) were associated with development of prostate cancer. Furthermore, cases with low UVR exposure developed cancer at a younger median age (67·7 years, IQR 61·5–74·6) than cases with higher exposure (72·1 years, 67·5–76·4); p=0·006. These findings are compatible with UVR having a protective role against prostate cancer.