Spending time in the sun could protect against pancreatic cancer, a study has found. Researchers say there may be a link between low levels of vitamin D and the disease

Researchers found that rates of the cancer were highest in countries with the least amount of sunlight – and say low levels of vitamin D could be the reason.

Our bodies get most of our vitamin D from the sun, although it is also found in a small number of foods, such as oily fish and eggs.

‘If you’re living at a high latitude or in a place with a lot of heavy cloud cover, you can’t make vitamin D most of the year, which results in a higher-than-normal risk of getting pancreatic cancer,’ said lead author Cedric Garland, a professor at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

‘People who live in sunny counties near the equator have only one sixth of the age-adjusted incidence rate of pancreatic cancer as those who live far from it.

‘The importance of sunlight deficiency strongly suggests – but does not prove – that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to the risk of pancreatic cancer.’

For the study, which was published in the Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, the researchers examined data from 107 countries.

They took into account possible confounding factors, such as alcohol consumption, obesity and smoking.

‘While these other factors also contribute to risk, the strong inverse association with cloud-cover adjusted sunlight persisted even after they were accounted for,’ said Prof Garland.

The pancreas is part of the digestive system, located high in the abdomen, behind the stomach.

It produces digestive enzymes which break down food so it can be absorbed, and hormones such as insulin, which helps keep blood sugar levels stable.

According to the World Cancer Research Fund International, rates of pancreatic cancer are highest in Europe and North America, and lowest in Africa and Asia.

cluster of pancreatic cells under the microscope

In the US, about 48,960 people were diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2015, and about 40,560 people will die of it, according to the American Cancer Society.

In the UK, pancreatic cancer is the 11th most common cancer, with around 8,800 people diagnosed each year, according to NHS data.

Symptoms can include pain in the back or stomach, unexpected weight loss, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes).

However, in its early stages, a tumour in the pancreas doesn’t usually cause any symptoms, making it difficult to diagnose.

It’s not fully understood what causes pancreatic cancer, but risk factors for developing the condition include age (it mainly affects people who are 50-80 years old) and smoking.

Having a history of other health conditions – such as diabetes, chronic pancreatitis (long-term inflammation of the pancreas), stomach ulcers and Helicobacter pylori infection (a stomach infection) also increase the risk.

Written by Sophie Freeman for The Daily Mail ~ April 30, 2015.

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