Solar and ultraviolet radiation

by IARC Working Group on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans

Evaluates carcinogenic risks associated with human exposure to solar radiation and to ultraviolet radiation from medical and cosmetic devices, general illumination, and industrial sources. The main objective of the evaluation was to determine whether enough evidence is available to decide which segments of the radiation spectrum are responsible for its adverse effects. To this end, particular attention is given to data that shed light on the distinctive carcinogenic activity of ultraviolet A, B, and C radiation. In evaluating carcinogenic potential, the report also considers the importance of human constitutional risk factors, such as skin type, hair and eye colour, and specific subtypes of exposure, such as occupational and recreational exposures. More than 1,000 studies were critically assessed. On the basis of a large body of evidence from human and experimental studies, the monograph concludes that solar radiation is carcino-genic to humans, causing cutaneous malignant melanoma and