Too many young women are developing the deadliest form of cancer.
The Mayo Clinic looked at skin cancer rates among women under 40 in Minnesota. They found that between 1970 and 2009, melanoma rates increased eight times over.
It’s a snapshot of a national problem. Dr. Jerry Brewer, a dermatologist with the Mayo Clinic is the lead author on the study. He says, “The rise in tanning bed behavior over the years is probably a major contributor.”
Although the number of cancers is rising, death from melanoma has gone down, thanks to early diagnosis. There has also been a major change in the number of states limiting tanners under the 18. At least a dozen states require a parent’s signature for teens 16-18 to use the tanning bed. Several more states have banned the use of tanning beds for those under 18. As these changes are occurring, it will take a few years to note the actual change in diagnoses and deaths due to cases of melanoma in the range of young adults impacted by tanning bed use.
For more information on melanoma skin cancer, visit the Mayo Clinic’s website.
For more information on statistics of various cancers, visit the American Cancer Society’s website.