This likely falls under the category of "common sense." The World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) announced on Tuesday that it has moved UV tanning beds to its highest cancer risk category: "carcinogenic to humans."
This moves sun lamps and tanning beds out of the prior category (which was bad enough) "probably carcinogenic to humans." The IARC stated that the evidence linking tanning beds and skin cancer is “sufficient and compelling.”
To be honest, the evidence linking tanning beds and skin cancer should have been clear for all to see. The evidence was there in the tan itself.
A tan is a reaction by the skin, produced by increased melanin to protect the skin against the UV radiation from the sun (or tanning beds). Skin cancer aside, just look at someone who's "suffered" a lot of exposure to the sun as they age; their skin looks decidedly older because of the damage.
However, a tan has always been considered attractive, particularly among women. According to the IARC, combined analysis of over 20 epidemiological studies showed that the risk of skin cancer, or melanoma, increases by 75% when the use of tanning beds begins before the age of 30.
The IARC noted that a dramatic increase in the incidence of melanoma, especially among young women, has occurred in recent years. The research was published online in the medical journal Lancet Oncology on Wednesday.
Vincent Cogliano, one of the cancer researchers said:
"People need to be reminded of the risks of sunbeds. We hope the prevailing culture will change so teens don't think they need to use sunbeds to get a tan."
Naturally, sunbed manufacturers disputed the information, stating that tanning beds and skin cancer are not linked if use is "responsible." This however, ignores the fact that doctors have been saying for years that any sun exposure at all damages the skin.
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