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The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) had earlier classified tanning beds as “probably carcinogenic to humans” but has increased the warning to “carcinogenic to humans,” which is its highest cancer risk category.
The July 28, 2009 WebMD article “WHO: Tanning Beds Cause Cancer” states that “Indoor Tanning Causes Melanoma.”
Tanning beds also go by such names as sunbeds, tanning booths, tanning sytems, and others.
Dr. Vincent Cogliano, a scientist with WHO’s IARC, stated that the organization raised the warning level of tanning beds because “... the scientific evidence linking indoor tanning to the deadly skin cancer melanoma [is] ‘sufficient and compelling.’” [WebMD]
Over ten years of research concerning the use of tanning beds has provided a comprehensive amount of evidence that the use of tanning beds is dangerous. Dr. Cogliano adds, “People mistakenly see a tan as a sign of health when it is actually a sign of damage to the skin.” [WebMD]
Specifically, the decision was made after many scientific reports came out that found teenagers and young adults who used tanning beds increased their risk of developing melanoma by 75%.
In fact, any person using tanning beds before the age of 30 years has a 75% increased risk of getting the deadly form of cancer called melanoma.
Page two continues with information on melanoma and the study on tanning beds and UV rays.
For more information on melanoma, please go to the website https://www.melanoma.com/.
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Melanoma.com has a ten-question survey to see if you are at higher risk of getting melanoma than other people. Go to “Am I At Risk?” for the survey
The research by the IARC found that all ultraviolet rays (UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C) cause cancer in animals.
The WebMD article states that the indoor tanning industry “often claimed that tanning beds are safe because the bulbs have more UVA radiation than UVB.” This scientific research refutes such statements, reporting that UV-A rays are just as deadly as UV-B rays.
Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the deputy chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, stated, “This report puts to rest the argument that tanning with UVA light is safe. As noted by the IARC report, UVA light is also a class I carcinogen and should be avoided.”
Consequently, indoor tanning is dangerous to the human body and greatly increases the chance of cancer, specifically melanoma.
The study made by the WHO’s IARC is found in the journal The Lancet.
For additional information on the WHO study, please read the July 28, 2009 U.S. News and World Report article “Tanning Beds Get Highest Carcinogen Rating: Melanoma risk rises 75 percent when device use begins before age 30, international panel says.”
Just as the use of cigarettes have been scientifically proven to be dangerous and cancer-causing (carcinogenic) based on scientific studies over the past fifty years, indoor tanning beds are also being shown to be dangerous to the health of humans.
