Taking a daily vitamin pill could prevent skin cancer, scientists reveal

A daily vitamin pill could help prevent skin cancer - particularly among women, it has emerged.
Scientists say taking food supplements containing vitamin A can make people less likely to develop melanoma, the deadliest form of the disease.
A study found that retinol - a key component of Vitamin A - could protect against the illness.

The strongest protective effects were found in women and in sun exposed sites, suggesting retinol actually combats skin cancer. However, there was no association between dietary intake of vitamin A, found in liver, eggs and milk, and a reduction in risk.


There was also no reduced risk seen by the intake of carotenoids, which are abundant in vegetables including carrots and tomatoes and soak up compounds that can damage the skin. Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer among white populations, in the UK and worldwide.


Most are easy to treat and pose only a small threat to life, but melanoma is difficult to treat unless detected early. Over the past 25 years, rates of melanoma in the UK have risen faster than any other common cancer. About 1,800 people die from melanoma annually in the UK. Even so, nearly 80 per cent of men and over 90 per cent of women are alive at five years following treatment.


However, Dr Claire Knight, senior health information officer at Cancer Research UK, said: 'We don't recommend people start taking retinol supplements based on this study, particularly as high doses can be toxic.

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