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Latitude and altitude have been implicated as skin cancer risk factors, but there has been some controversy as to whether ultraviolet radiation also has a protective effect against various cancers, including skin cancer, through production of vitamin D. In an 18-year, prospective, longitudinal survey study of 84,836 U.S. female nurses (96% white), investigators examined the relation between place of residence at birth, age 15, and age 30 and later incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. Geographic regions were classified as low-UV-index, medium-UV-index, or high-UV-index regions (Alaska, New Jersey, and California, e.g., belong to each region, respectively). The outcome measure was diagnosis of …