Study links tanning bed use to rising melanoma rates in New England
Source: News Medical Life Science, November 2024
Melanoma accounts for only 1% of skin cancers in the United States but results in the largest number of skin cancer deaths. Investigators evaluated the potential link between the availability and use of tanning beds and the rising rates of melanoma in New England. They found compelling evidence linking tanning bed usage to increased melanoma risk. Their spatial epidemiologic study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, published by Elsevier, provides critical insights to inform public health strategies and reduce melanoma incidence.
The incidence of melanoma in the US has been increasing over the past two decades. Melanoma incidence continues to increase at about 1% each year among females, while it has stabilized in men. Many factors contribute to a region’s incidence of melanoma; the most preventable risk factor is ultraviolet (UV) radiation from both natural sources like solar radiation and artificial sources like tanning beds.
Lead investigator Oliver Wisco, DO, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and co-first authors Megan M. Tran, Department of Dermatology, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and Guixing Wei, PhD, Spatial Structures in the Social Sciences, Population Studies and Training Center, Brown University, explain, “Our patients are our primary source of inspiration for this research. Every day, we encounter patients diagnosed with melanoma. Witnessing the devastating impact of this disease drives us to find ways to prevent it. Despite the well-known dangers of UV radiation, access to tanning beds remains widespread, and their usage continues to be prevalent in many regions. This reality compelled us to investigate the potential link between the availability and use of these facilities and the rising rates of melanoma. Our goal was to better understand whether areas with greater access to tanning beds also experience higher rates of melanoma, with the hope that this knowledge could inform more effective public health strategies to combat skin cancer."