Exposure to less UVB light could potentially boost the risk of colorectal cancer.

In a recent study published in the open access journal BMC Public Health, researchers from the University of California San Diego investigated the potential role of age in the inverse association between ultraviolet B (UVB) exposure and colorectal cancer.

The study, which was conducted in 2018 and published in 2021, used data from 186 countries and UVB light estimates from the NASA EOS Aura spacecraft in April 2017. Data on these factors was available for 148 countries.

The study found that lower UVB exposure was significantly correlated with higher rates of colorectal cancer across all age groups from 0 to over 75 years in the 186 countries included. Interestingly, the association between lower UVB and risk of colorectal cancer remained significant for those aged above 45 after considering factors like skin pigmentation, life expectancy, and smoking.

However, it's important to note that the observational nature of the study does not allow for conclusions about cause and effect. More work is needed to understand the relationship between UVB and vitamin D with colorectal cancer in more detail. The study also cautions that other factors may affect UVB exposure and vitamin D levels, such as vitamin D supplements, clothing, and air pollution, which were not included in the study.

Future research could explore the potential benefits on colorectal cancer of correcting vitamin D deficiencies, especially in older age groups. The study can be accessed for free once the embargo lifts and will be available at https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-021-11089-w.

BMC Public Health is an open access, peer-reviewed journal that focuses on the epidemiology of disease and the understanding of public health, with a special focus on the social determinants of health, the environmental, behavioral, and occupational correlates of health and disease, and the impact of health policies, practices, and interventions on the community. As part of Springer Nature, a pioneer in open access publishing with an evolving portfolio of high-quality peer-reviewed journals, BMC Public Health is committed to continual innovation to better support the needs of its communities, ensuring the integrity of the research it publishes, and championing the benefits of open research.

For an embargoed copy of the research article, please contact Tara Eadie at Springer Nature, reachable at +44 2034 263329 or [email protected]. For media enquiries, you can also contact Tara Eadie.