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Study finds northerners at higher risk of prostate cancer

Category: Male Specific Tests

Northerners who are already sick of dealing with the cold may have a new reason to head off to sunnier, southern locales, as a new study found a link between cold, dry weather and prostate cancer.

The team of researchers from Idaho State University said in their report that they aren't sure exactly why this correlation exists, but that they found more incidences of prostate cancer in northern states.

Sophie St. Hilaire, who led the study, said in the report that, even though they don't know the exact cause, the team believes organic pollutants and low vitamin D levels may be to blame.

"We found that colder weather and low rainfall were strongly correlated with prostate cancer," she said. "Our study suggests that in addition to vitamin D deficiency associated with exposure to UV radiation, other meteorological conditions may also significantly affect the incidence of prostate cancer."

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that over 200,000 men died from prostate cancer in 2006, the most recent year for which statistics are available.