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).
| Type of Ultraviolet | Types of cancer | Treatability | Absorbed by ozone? |
|---|---|---|---|
| UVA | melanoma | (often fatal) | NO |
| UVB | squamous cell cancer skin cancer |
easily treatable | YES |
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