Ultraviolet light and cancer
Encyclopedia
The article examines the connection between natural ultraviolet light (UV) radiation and the incidence of cancer
in human beings.
The connection between UV radiation and cancer is well known to scientists, and what is debated by public policy
advocates is the role of ozone
. Some researchers have claimed that Ultraviolet radiation levels are (or were) increasing at an alarming level. They concluded that cancer rates would go up accordingly, unless emissions suspected of reducing the protective effect of atmospheric ozone were banned.
In 1993, J B Kerr and C T McElroy published Evidence for large upward trends of ultraviolet-B radiation linked to ozone depletion(Science 262:1032). This was disputed by P J Michaels et al. (Science 264:1342) but Kerr and McElroy re-affirmed their original findings (Science 264:1342).
See:
See also:
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
in human beings.
The connection between UV radiation and cancer is well known to scientists, and what is debated by public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
advocates is the role of ozone
Ozone
Ozone , or trioxygen, is a triatomic molecule, consisting of three oxygen atoms. It is an allotrope of oxygen that is much less stable than the diatomic allotrope...
. Some researchers have claimed that Ultraviolet radiation levels are (or were) increasing at an alarming level. They concluded that cancer rates would go up accordingly, unless emissions suspected of reducing the protective effect of atmospheric ozone were banned.
In 1993, J B Kerr and C T McElroy published Evidence for large upward trends of ultraviolet-B radiation linked to ozone depletion(Science 262:1032). This was disputed by P J Michaels et al. (Science 264:1342) but Kerr and McElroy re-affirmed their original findings (Science 264:1342).
| Type of Ultraviolet | Types of cancer | Treatability | Absorbed by ozone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| UVA | melanoma Melanoma Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye... |
(often fatal) | NO |
| UVB | squamous cell cancer skin cancer |
easily treatable | YES |
See:
- UVAUltravioletUltraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...
- UVB
See also:
- ozone layerOzone layerThe ozone layer is a layer in Earth's atmosphere which contains relatively high concentrations of ozone . This layer absorbs 97–99% of the Sun's high frequency ultraviolet light, which is potentially damaging to the life forms on Earth...
- ozone depletionOzone depletionOzone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s: a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere , and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's polar regions. The latter phenomenon...
- Antarctic ozone hole
- Montreal ProtocolMontreal ProtocolThe Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances believed to be responsible for ozone depletion...