Tanning beds have become a very trendy way to get a dark tan during the cold winter months. In Syracuse as the winter months approach people should nevertheless consider the increased risk of deadly skin cancers from tanning beds before using this method of tanning. ScienceDaily has reported "Increased Tanning Bed Use Increases Risk for Deadly Skin Cancers."
Researchers have confirmed an association between tanning bed use and an increased risk for three common skin cancers; basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. The popularity of indoor tanning has been growing with an estimated 10 percent of Americans using indoor tanning facilities each year. Yet, according to lead researcher Mingfeng Zhang, M.D., a research fellow in the department of dermatology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, the use of tanning beds has been shown to be associated with an increased risk for skin cancer.
The results of this research found that tanning bed use increased skin cancer risk with a dose-response effect. The greater the tanning bed exposure the higher the risks of skin cancer. In fact the risk for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma increased by 15 percent for every four visits made to a tanning booth per year; while the risk for melanoma increased by 11 percent.
These results should influence considerations of the use of indoor tanning facilities and of policies dealing with the indoor tanning industry. It appears the same aggressive moves to make the public aware of the increased cancer risks associated with smoking should be taken in dealing with the indoor tanning industry.
Photographer: photostock
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