Tanning Bed Risks

Tanning Beds Linked to Dramatically Higher Melanoma Risk
A report from the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer places UV tanning beds in the highest cancer risk category and says the items are “carcinogenic to humans.” The report found that exposure to ultraviolet radiation emitted from tanning beds before a person is age 30 results in a 75-percent increase in the risk of developing melanoma, a leading type of skin cancer.

Each year, about 62,000 new cases of melanoma are diagnosed in the United States and about 8,000 people die from the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Worldwide, as many as 50,000 people die each year from melanoma, which accounts for about three out of every four skin cancer related deaths.

While makers of tanning beds continue to claim that their products are safer than bathing in natural sunlight, there is mounting evidence to show those claims are false and misleading. Millions of people of all ages use tanning beds to achieve a deep, dark tan. Now, we are finding out that many of those people may be at greatly increased risk of developing a potentially deadly form of skin cancer.

Melanoma Symptoms
Melanomas can form anywhere on the skin, but they most often appear on the arms, legs, back, face, head, and other areas of the body that are exposed to direct sunlight.

Other symptoms of melanoma include:

• Moles or other growths on the skin with irregular, asymmetrical shape
• Growths with different colors
• Growths with uneven, notched, or irregular borders
• Growths with a diameter of 1/4 inch or larger
• Growths that increase in size or change shapes over time