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(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Depending on their genetic makeup, some people may be able to naturally protect their bodies from skin cancer.
A new study suggests that individuals with certain variants in a vitamin D-related gene called BsmI may be at an increased risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer. Previous research has shown that vitamin D can significantly protect against the development of cancer.
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Investigators said they suspect that different people have different levels of vitamin D activity in their bodies, so some people may have more vitamin D protection against cancer than others.
The studys authors say their findings indirectly suggest that sun exposure might have an anti-melanoma effect through the activation of the vitamin D system in some people.
SOURCE: CANCER, published online Sept. 22, 2008
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