Individuals with a variant of a gene involved in the metabolism of vitamin D seem to have an increased risk for melanoma, a type of skin cancer, according to a study published online in the journal Cancer .

Melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, begins in skin cells called melanocytes. Melanocytes are the cells that make melanin, a pigment which gives skin its color. Italian researchers analyzed information from six prior melanoma studies and found that people who have a variant of a gene known as BsmI , which is involved in vitamin D metabolism, may have a 30% higher risk of developing melanoma than individuals with the most common variant of BsmI.

The researchers state that more research is needed to validate this association, especially because multiple gene variants have been associated with the development of skin cancers. So, for now, the best way to prevent melanoma is still to decrease the amount of time you spend in the sun and to protect your skin from the ultraviolet radiation in the sun's invisible rays.

Source

Cancer. Published online before print September 24, 2008.