Minneapolis, Minnesota – Studies made by researchers of the University of Minnesota have shown that regular use of indoor tanning can increase the risk to suffer melanoma.
Melanoma is a type of cancer that represents less than 2 percent of all types of skin cancer. However, it is the most deadly of them all, killing one person per hour.
Studies revealed that there exists a link between melanoma and indoor tanning. It showed that women with a large record of indoor tanning were two to six times more likely to suffer from melanoma. To be able to carry out the study, researchers worked with 681 individuals between men and women who were diagnosed with skin cancer.
In a group formed by different aged women patients, research showed that women patients were more likely to have started indoor tanning at an earlier age and to have tanned more often than older women, which indicates evidence that this habit is more likely to be triggered by a trend.
“All women who use indoor tanning are at risk of melanoma, but the strongest risk was among women who tanned in their 20s, who were about six times more likely to develop the disease, compared to women who didn’t tan indoors,” said lead researcher DeAnn Lazovich, professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota.
Regarding men, the risk is less since they are less likely to have indoor tanning habits. It was impossible to establish an association between indoor tanning and melanoma.
Researchers said that the location of melanoma determined the cause. Melanomas were mostly found in the trunk or torso. This was a sign that chests and backs were exposed during indoor tanning sessions.
But now the challenge is focused on preventing melanoma. There is a need to change people’s mind on indoor tanning. They say that tanning skin is unattractive, dangerous and should be avoided. It causes melanoma but also causes acceleration of skin aging, change of skin texture, age spots and wrinkling, besides other skin problems.
The results of this study supported a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposal to ban indoor tanning for people under 18 years old. But some proposed to ban it for people under 21 years old or even ban it at all.
“Efforts need to be accelerated and expanded beyond bans on minor access to indoor tanning to curb the melanoma epidemic, which seems likely to continue unabated, especially among young women, unless exposure to indoor tanning is further restricted and reduced,” researchers said.
Source: Tech Times