Although there has been an awareness about the risk of skin cancer, the disease is still a serious health concern. One percent of skin cancers in the U.S. are diagnosed as melanoma. Yet it accounts for the highest number of deaths.
During their investigation the researchers discovered evidence that links tanning beds to the increase in melanoma. According to Medical Xpress, the Journal of Investigative Dermatology offers insights into reducing incidents of skin cancer.
Melanoma
There has been an increase in cases in the United States during the past ten to twenty years increasing one percent among females yearly but stabilizing in men.
Although there are many factors that cause melanoma, the one that is most preventable is ultraviolet radiation emanating from natural (solar) or artificial sources such as tanning beds.
A study led by Dr. Oliver Wisco and colleagues at Brown University Medical School was conducted in several locations in New England U.S.A. between 2014 and 2018.
Observing the disastrous impact of the disease motivated the investigators to search for preventative measures. The harm caused by UV radiation is well known. Yet tanning bed usage remains widespread.
This reality motivated the researchers to expose the connection between the tanning beds and the continued increase in melanoma cases. The team set out to determine whether areas that had unlimited access to tanning facilities also had higher incidents of melanoma. The goal was to encourage people to become informed and provide the public with preventative measures to be used against skin cancer.
Access to Tanning Facilities
The investigators analyzed tanning bed usage as it related to melanoma cases in New England. They relied on geographic data from State Cancer Profiles as well as community and geological surveys.
The study showed a decided relationship between the use of tanning beds and higher rates of melanoma in the New England area.
Dr. Wisco acknowledges that the researchers anticipated a connection between melanoma and tanning beds but admitted they were not prepared for such a pronounced association. Dr. David Fisher, a noted expert at Mass General Hospital was quoted as saying that melanoma is one of the few cancers for which there is a preventable cause and that is UV radiation.
Source: Medical Xpress
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Last modified: March 13, 2025
