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NEWS & VIEWS

TANNING LAMPS INCREASE SKIN CANCER RISK

Use of tanning beds increases risk of skin cancer.

But a recent report in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (2002;94:224-226) suggests that use of tanning beds and lamps increases the risk of the two most common forms of skin cancer—basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), which together account for over one million new cases each year in the United States.

With the prevalence of tanning salon use increasing and little epidemiological data on the impact this has on skin cancer risk, Margaret R. Karagas, PhD, and colleagues from the Dartmouth Medical School and Brown Medical School, conducted this population-based, case-control study of 603 BCC patients, 293 SCC patients, and 540 control subjects.

Despite the public perception that tanning beds can protect a person from sunlight, the data indicate otherwise. The study participants who used tanning devices:

• Were 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma than people who did not use them.
  
• Were 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma compared with those who did not use the devices.
  
• Tended to be more likely to develop basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma the younger they were when they began using these tanning devices (although this trend was not statistically significant).
  

Because sun lamp users often have other skin cancer risk factors, the investigators performed logistic regression analysis to control for these associations. Adjusting for history of sunburns, sunbathing, and sun exposure did not change these conclusions.

The suggestion of an increased risk associated with exposure at a younger age is particularly disturbing in light of the high prevalence of tanning bed use among teenagers.

According to coauthor Martin Weinstock, MD, PhD, a professor of dermatology at Brown University Medical School and a member of the American Cancer Society (ACS) skin cancer advisory group, health care providers should advise their patients that the best way to avoid sunburn and to avoid skin cancer, is not to use a tanning bed but to follow the ACS sun protection slogan: "Slip, Slop, Slap!"

• Slip on a shirt with sleeves.
  
• Slop on sunscreen (at least an SPF 15) and remember to reapply.
  
• Slap on a hat with a brim wide enough to shade your face, ears, and neck.
  
• And, while you’re at it, wrap on sunglasses to protect your eyelids from UV damage and your eyes from getting cataracts.
  

While some people who hear of this study may decide to stay away from tanning salons, the authors know the challenge is getting teens to see the problems the sun can cause, and note that "...suggestions have included preventing minors from using these devices and requiring written informed consent from adults seeking to use them."

This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a letter to the editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Search for Related Content