ABSTRACT
Department of Radiation Biology, Institute for Cancer Research, Montebello, Oslo, Norway and Department of Biophysics and Cell Biotechnology, Carol Davila
University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
Arne Dahlback
Department of Physics, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
INTRODUCTION
Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) from the sun is by far the most important risk factor
for nonmelanoma skin cancer, notably for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) (1,2).
Also for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), practically all investigations equivocally
indicate a relationship (1,2). However, in the case of the most dangerous form
of skin cancer, cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM), the relationship is less
clear and has been debated for decades (1-7). Recently, the confusion is increas-
ing because numerous reports claim that solar radiation protects against several
forms of cancer, even CMM, or at least improves their prognosis, through its pro-
duction of vitamin D3 in skin (8,9).
