Are Tanning Beds As Deadly As Arsenic?
By August 4th, 2009
According to a recent study by The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer, yes. A new analysis of about 20 studies concludes that the risk of skin cancer jumps by 75% when people start using tanning beds before age 30. Vincent Cogliano of lthe IARC says the studies found that ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC) radiation all cause cancer in animal models.
This places tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation alongside other causes of cancer, such as tobacco, the hepatitis B virus and chimney sweeping, among others. As the use of tanning beds has increased among people under 30, doctors have seen a dramatic rise in skin cancer, especially among young women. In Britain, melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, is now the leading cancer diagnosed in women in their 20′s.
The indoor tanning industry has often claimed that tanning beds are safe because the bulbs have more UVA radiation than UVB, says American Cancer Society Deputy Chief Medical Officer Len Lichtenfeld, MD. “This report puts to rest the argument that tanning with UVA light is safe,” Lichtenfeld said in a statement. “As noted by the IARC report, UVA light is also a class I carcinogen and should be avoided.”
The American Cancer Society advises people to try bronzing or self-tanning creams instead of tanning beds.
Does this scare the bejesus out of you? I know it’s definitely made me think twice about soaking up the sun’s rays unprotected.
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Tags: International Agency for Research on Cancer, tanning beds, World Health Organization
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