Skin cancers constitute nearly half of all new cancers in the United States, with more than 3.5 million new cases annually.
In the past 3 decades, melanoma-related mortality has risen in the United States by 690%.
The scientific case against tanning beds is strong. Of note, a recent study linked tanning-bed use during adolescence and early adulthood with a 2-fold increased risk for melanoma (Int J Cancer. 2011;128:2425-2435). A study of nearly 1200 melanoma patients presented at the 2012 American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting provided even more convincing evidence linking indoor tanning with invasive cutaneous melanoma, as reported by Medscape Medical News.
Nearly 26 bills intended to limit tanning bed use in the U.S have been vehemently challenged by the tanning bed industry. Nearly all were defeated.
Public safety, once again, takes a back seat to special interest.
This is great news for those who at risk to skin cancer due to genetics or lifestyle, offering another tool in the arsenal against cancer.
There are many great food sources from which to get vitamin A including but, not limited to, sweet potatoes, carrots, beef liver, and more.
Supplements can be effective, as well
Melanoma is the sixth leading cause of cancer in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. About 76,000 cases of melanomas will be diagnosed this year, based on recent estimates. In the study, researchers examined about 69,000 men and women, and after about six years, 566 had developed melanoma. Among the 59,000 people in the study who had never taken vitamin A supplements, there were 506 cases of melanoma, while among the 5,800 people who were currently taking it and had used it regularly over the past 10 years, there were 28 cases.
Warnings against sun exposure have overshadowed the risk of skin cancer caused by tanning beds.
Indoor tanning beds were officially classified as a human carcinogen in 2009 as are cigarettes and asbestos.
The findings indicate that frequent tanning-booth exposure will increase your risk of developing skin cancer.
Basal cell carcinoma, a slow-growing cancer, has traditionally been a disease of middle age. But it’s been appearing with increasing frequency in people under 40, especially in women — a demographic that also happens to like indoor tanning — suggesting a link. So researchers at the Yale School of Public Health sought to study the association.
Be careful before taking out huge loans to get a degree from a for-profit college. Make sure you're not getting suckered into for-profit college scams that leave you with no job and huge debt.
This blog is for consumers of health care and medical services. Basically, it’s for everyone. For health issues you should always see a doctor or qualified medical professional - we are not dispensing medical advice. You should, however, be an educated consumer, so we offer information to help you start the process to become educated and to ask important questions. There are many excellent resources on the web, along with all sorts of conflicting opinions and advice. The key is to use a wide variety of resources to learn and access information, so you can ask the important questions when you are with your doctor or health professional.
