Study: Tanning beds cause cancer

A study performed by international cancer experts has found that tanning beds cause cancer in humans. Ultraviolet radiation emitted by the tanning beds have been added to Group 1, reserved for the most dangerous cancer-causing materials. Cigarettes have also been put in this level in the carcinogenicity classification.

An analysis of roughly 20 studies found that the risk of the skin cancer cutaneous melanoma is increased by 75 percent when tanning beds are used before the age of 30. The study also noted evidence of an increase risk in ocular melanoma—skin cancer found on the eye— associated with tanning bed use.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer experts published the results online by The Lancet Oncology, a research journal. The IARC is a part of the World Health Organization, and these results reinforce current WHO recommendations to avoids tanning beds, sunlamps and excessive sun exposure.

One of IARC's experts told the Associated Press that people need to be reminded of the risks that tanning beds pose.

"We hope the prevailing culture will change so teens don't think they need to use sunbeds to get a tan," he said.

Older studies had found that those using tanning beds regularly are eight times more likely to get melanoma that people who never use them. The American Cancer Society has been encouraging people to try self-tanning creams or bronzers instead of tanning beds.

CNN.com reported that United Kingdom's Sunbed Association has come out against the results, saying that a link between using sunbeds and cancer has not been proven.

"The relationship between UV exposure and an increased risk of developing skin cancer is only likely to arise where over-exposure and burning in particular has taken place."

Skin cancer is the world's most common cancer. More than a million new cases are reported in the United States each year.

More information can be found at the WHO's website.

The original article is located at The Lancet Oncology.

For more information on Skin Cancer, go to the Livestrong topic page here.

--By Charity Scott