Skip to content

Health

Tanning beds 'can cause non-melanoma skin cancer'

by Adrian Bishop 02 Oct 2012
Tanning beds 'can cause non-melanoma skin cancer'

Tanning bed image; Credit: © Shutterstock

Tanning beds can cause non-melanoma skin cancer, says a new study by American scientists. The danger from indoor tanning beds is more acute the earlier the tanning starts, says the research led by UCSF.

The risk from tanning of malignant melanoma, which is rare, but more deadly, is recognised, but the new research suggests the danger from non-melanoma, the most common of human skin cancers, is also heightened.

The most detailed study to date suggests that indoor tanning could lead to more than 170,000 new cases of non-melanoma skin cancers every year in America.

Those who visit tanning salons before the age of 25 have a greater risk of developing basal cell carcinomas than those who have never been, the researchers reported.

The research has just been published in the online version of the BMJ, the British general medical journal.

Senior author Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UCSF, says, "The numbers are striking - hundreds of thousands of cancers each year are attributed to tanning beds. This creates a huge opportunity for cancer prevention.'

The research involved a meta-analysis and in-depth review of medical articles published since 1985. There were 80,000 people in six countries involved along with data going back 35 years.

Indoor tanning became popular in the US in the 1970s and they now attract each year. The National Cancer Institute and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010 estimated 5.6% of Americans used indoor tanning in the previous year, most were women, white, and young.

It is believed that there are 19,000 indoor tanning businesses, according to industry figures.

The World Health Organization warns that ultraviolet tanning devices can cause cancer and the International Agency for Research on Cancer believes indoor tanning is a "Class 1' carcinogen. Government regulation of tanning facilities is increasingly common.

The new research increases evidence of the harms that can be caused by indoor tanning.

Co-author, Mary-Margaret Chren, MD, professor of dermatology at UCSF, says, "Several earlier studies suggested a link between non-melanoma skin cancer and indoor tanning. Our goal was to synthesize the available data to be able to draw a firm conclusion about this important question,'

The study examined early life exposure and continued use of tanning salons.

Those who indulged in indoor tanning had a 67% higher risk of squamous cell carcinoma and a 29% higher risk of basal cell carcinoma over those who never visit tanning salons.

The scientists noted the research had some limitations, such as the broad timeframe of the data. Indoor tanning devices have also altered from high UVB output largely UVA output, say the authors.

But many studies have suggested that UVB and UVA can cause significant damage to the skin.

Eleni Linos says, "Australia and Europe have already led the way in banning tanning beds for children and teenagers, and Brazil has completely banned tanning beds for all ages. I hope that our study supports policy and public health campaigns to limit this carcinogen in the United States.'

Other co-authors of the study are Mackenzie Wehner, a Doris Duke Research Fellow at UCSF; Melissa Shive, a UCSF medical student; Jiali Han, PhD, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School; and Abrar Qureshi, MD, MPH, dermatology vice chairman at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

The research was backed by UCSF's Clinical and Translational Science Institute KL2 program and the National Institute of Health.

UCSF aims to promote health around the world through advanced biomedical research, graduate-level education in the life sciences and health professions, and excellence in patient care.


Trending Eco-Friendly Clothing

Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Love My Planet Women's Relaxed Fit Hoodie
Love My Planet women's eco-friendly relaxed fit hoodieSize Guide Centimeters 8 10 12 14 16 18 Bust 84 88 92 97 103 108 Waist 66 70 75 80 85 91 Hips 91 95 99 104 109 116 Bust: Measure around the fullest part of...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Penguins Hate Push-Ups Men's Pullover Hoodie
Penguins Hate Push-Ups men's eco-friendly pullover HoodieSize Guide Centimeters XS S M L XL XXL Height 171 175 179 183 189 195 Chest 86 93 99 104 116 129 Waist 71 76 81 89 99 112 Chest: Measure all round your chest just below...
£38.00
£38.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Lightning Bolt Kids Long Sleeve T-Shirt
Lightning Bolt kids eco-friendly long sleeve t-shirtSize Guide Centimeters 3-4yrs 5-6yrs 7-8yrs 9-10yrs 11-12yrs Height 98 112 125 136 147 Chest 60 66 70 75 84 Chest: Measure all around your chest just below your armpits. Height: Your natural height If you fall between...
£18.00
£18.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Earth
Quick Add
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Union Jack Tote Bag
Union Jack eco-friendly colour tote bagProduct Specification Organic Cotton Tote Bag. Twill Weave (170gsm). 37 x 42 cm (7cm gusset.) Made in India / Designed on the Isle of Wight. Wash Cool, Hang Dry.
£16.00
£16.00
Close
Notify me
Notify me
Prev Post
Next Post

Eco-Friendly Shop

Women's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Women Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable women’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Men's Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothing for Men Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable men’s clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies, vests, sweaters, shorts, and...
Shop Now

Kids Clothing

Eco-Friendly Clothes for Kids Our online shop offers a wide range of sustainable kids clothing products, including t-shirts, hoodies and jumpers. Our garments...
Shop Now
Someone recently bought a
[time] ago, from [location]

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Earth Times
Sign up for exclusive updates, new arrivals & insider only discounts

Recently Viewed

Edit Option
Back In Stock Notification
this is just a warning
Login
Shopping Cart
0 items

Before you leave...

Take 20% off your first order

20% off

Enter the code below at checkout to get 20% off your first order

CODESALE20

Continue Shopping