Tanning Devices - Fast Track to Skin Cancer?January 15, 2004An all over tan is fashionable and large numbers of people, especially young women, achieve this by using sunbeds. Professor Antony Young, of King's College London, has reviewed the evidence that links sunbed use to malignant melanoma; a skin cancer that is fatal if not detected and treated early. Malignant melanoma is a cancer of the skin's cells that are responsible for tanning (melanocytes). Unlike most cancers, that tend to occur in late middle age, malignant melanoma can appear in younger people. There are about 6000 new cases of malignant melanoma in the UK each year and it is the 3rd most common cancer in women under 35. New data published earlier this week shows that malignant melanoma in the UK has increased by 24% in the period 1995-2000. The tanning properties of sunbeds come from their UVB and UVA radiation, both of which are found in the sun's ultraviolet rays. This radiation is known to damage the skin's genetic information and its immunity, and it is these effects that result in skin cancer. Tanning is increasingly recognized as the skin's SOS response to damage by ultraviolet radiation (UVR). It is often argued that a tan is protective but in reality a suntan is equivalent to a sunscreen with a very low sun protection factor (SPF) and its acquisition is associated with an accumulation of DNA damage. Professor Young's review, in Pigment Cell Research, shows that there is increasingly compelling evidence for a link between sunbed use and malignant melanoma. This link is not surprising because the sun's UVR is widely recognized as the primary cause of malignant melanoma. The continuing and widespread use of sunbeds is likely to result in increased numbers of people with malignant melanoma. There is a good case, as is done in some countries, for restricting sunbed use to those of 18 years of age and above. It is also worth noting that the regular use of sunbeds will markedly accelerate skin ageing. Blackwell Publishing Ltd |
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| Related Skin Cancer Current Events and Skin Cancer News Articles Laser therapy can aggravate skin cancer High irradiances of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) should not be used over melanomas. Quarter of a million children in England at risk of skin cancer from sunbeds An estimated quarter of a million 11-17 year olds in England are being put at increased risk of developing malignant melanoma by using sunbeds, warn researchers in a letter to this week's BMJ. Hundreds of genes distinguish patients likely to survive advanced melanoma Although the chances of surviving advanced melanoma aren't very good with current therapies, some patients can live for years with cancer that has spread beyond the skin to other organs. Adapting Space-Industry Technology to Treat Breast Cancer Researchers at Rush University Medical Center and Argonne National Laboratory are collaborating on a study to determine if an imaging technique used by NASA to inspect the space shuttle can be used to predict tissue damage often experienced by breast cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy. Switching immunosuppressants reduces cancer risk in kidney Switching to a newer type of immunosuppressant drug may reduce the high rate of skin cancer after kidney transplantation, according to research being presented at the American Society of Nephrology's 42nd Annual Meeting and Scientific Exposition in San Diego, CA. Latest analysis confirms suboptimal vitamin D levels in millions of US children Millions of children in the United States between the ages of 1 and 11 may suffer from suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to a large nationally representative study published in the November issue of Pediatrics, accompanied by an editorial. Geologists studying groundwater arsenic levels in India empower Bengali women, children A Kansas State University geologist and graduate student are finding that the most important tools in their fieldwork on groundwater arsenic pollution are women and children armed with pamphlets and testing kits. Melanoma treatment options 1 step closer A targeted chemotherapy for the treatment of skin cancer is one step closer, after a team of University of Alberta researchers successfully synthesized a natural substance that shows exceptional potential to specifically treat this often fatal disease. Resident physicians seldom trained in skin cancer examination Many resident physicians are not trained in skin cancer examinations, nor have they ever observed or practiced the procedure. Researchers find demand for cosmetic and surgical procedures in dermatologic surgery rising rapidly Researchers from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and the Laser and Skin Cancer Center of Indiana, (Carmel, Indiana), found that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of procedures performed and patient demand for dermatologic health care since 2000. More Skin Cancer Current Events and Skin Cancer News Articles |
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