In general, the longer the winter, the greater the incidence of cancer. The greater the sun exposure, the lower the risk of cancer ( possibly excluding skin cancers due to excessive exposure ). The lowest incidence of cancers occurs in African and South American areas near the equator.
Vitamin D is produced in the skin during periods of sun exposure.
Vitamin D does not work alone though. The main function of vitamin D is to transport Calcium across cell membranes. It takes vitamin D and calcium together to produce optimum results. As a note, most cancer cells are calcium deficient.