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>Why don't they have a mortality rate affected by skin or other cancers? Do you have a source for that? A source that compares people from further North living

>Why don't they have a mortality rate affected by skin or other cancers? Do you have a source for that? A source that compares people from further North living in the Mediterranean region compared to further North for skin cancer?

egypturnash 9y ago
So I just typed "skin cancer mortality rate by region" into DuckDuckGo and here are a few results from the first page: the CDC on US Skin Cancer Rates By State: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/state.htm https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/state.htm - if you squint there sure is a general north-south gradient, with LESS skin cancer in the South. Also note that "Melanoma is much more common among non-Hispanic whites than people of other races and ethnicities. More than 9 out of 10 cases of melanoma are diagnosed in non-Hispanic whites." Forbes on "skin cancer hotspots of the world": https://www.forbes.com/2008/07/28/skin-cancer-hotspots-forbeslife-cx_avd_0728health.html#5ee6ece4142 https://www.forbes.com/2008/07/28/skin-cancer-hotspots-forbe... relevant excerpt: "Studies have shown that while there is generally an increase in the incidence of melanoma as latitude decreases (closer to the equator), mortality from melanoma is four to six times higher in Nordic countries than in Mediterranean countries, according to the WHO." It then goes on to talk about cultural differences that essentially boil down to "people raised in sunny places get taught strategies for dealing with lots of sun". You could probably find better studies, this is just five minutes of searching.
- ianai 9y ago
  I’ve reduced what I’ve read about cancer and skin cancer down to the following: Cancer is essentially triggered by damage to cellular DNA which results in a “pathological” strand. That strand then multiplies throughout our bodies through cell regrowth with the pathological DNA. Sun light “flips the dice” with our skin cell DNA, among just generally harming our skin. Some people go their whole lives without any pathological DNA damage, and others not so much. The skin cells of Caucasians have little to no natural defense to the sun’s rays. Add as an anecdote: I saw a documentary with a girl born without any pigment (I think?). I forget the exact specifics. But she has to walk around in a 100% UV blocking hood and completely covering draped clothing when the sun is out. If any UV touches her skin she will get cancer then and there. She had a hole in the fabric of one of her hoods as a toddler and they had to do things to counteract that (I think they cut away that skin).

egypturnash 9y ago

So I just typed "skin cancer mortality rate by region" into DuckDuckGo and here are a few results from the first page: the CDC on US Skin Cancer Rates By State: https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/state.htm https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/statistics/state.htm - if you squint there sure is a general north-south gradient, with LESS skin cancer in the South. Also note that "Melanoma is much more common among non-Hispanic whites than people of other races and ethnicities. More than 9 out of 10 cases of melanoma are diagnosed in non-Hispanic whites." Forbes on "skin cancer hotspots of the world": https://www.forbes.com/2008/07/28/skin-cancer-hotspots-forbeslife-cx_avd_0728health.html#5ee6ece4142 https://www.forbes.com/2008/07/28/skin-cancer-hotspots-forbe... relevant excerpt: "Studies have shown that while there is generally an increase in the incidence of melanoma as latitude decreases (closer to the equator), mortality from melanoma is four to six times higher in Nordic countries than in Mediterranean countries, according to the WHO." It then goes on to talk about cultural differences that essentially boil down to "people raised in sunny places get taught strategies for dealing with lots of sun". You could probably find better studies, this is just five minutes of searching.

ianai 9y ago
I’ve reduced what I’ve read about cancer and skin cancer down to the following: Cancer is essentially triggered by damage to cellular DNA which results in a “pathological” strand. That strand then multiplies throughout our bodies through cell regrowth with the pathological DNA. Sun light “flips the dice” with our skin cell DNA, among just generally harming our skin. Some people go their whole lives without any pathological DNA damage, and others not so much. The skin cells of Caucasians have little to no natural defense to the sun’s rays. Add as an anecdote: I saw a documentary with a girl born without any pigment (I think?). I forget the exact specifics. But she has to walk around in a 100% UV blocking hood and completely covering draped clothing when the sun is out. If any UV touches her skin she will get cancer then and there. She had a hole in the fabric of one of her hoods as a toddler and they had to do things to counteract that (I think they cut away that skin).