Statement from the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention Regarding House Energy and Commerce Report on Indoor Tanning Industry
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention is in full support of the efforts of U.S. Representatives Waxman, DeGette, Pallone, DeLauro, and Maloney to expose the erroneous messaging disseminated by the indoor tanning industry as found in their investigative report “False and Misleading Health Information Provided to Teens by the Indoor Tanning Industry”. The dangers of indoor-tanning machines are well documented – ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a proven human carcinogen.
Over two million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every year and, according to the American Cancer Society, one in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime[1], a significant increase from just ten years ago. Investigators from the National Cancer Institute’s Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics reported that the annual incidence of invasive melanoma has increased by 50 percent among Caucasian women in the United States between the ages of 15 and 39 (between 1984 and 2004).[2] Currently, melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 [3] and indoor tanning significantly increases the risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.
Despite strong and mounting evidence, the indoor tanning industry promotes the use of tanning beds among teenagers and young adults, and continues to make claims that are not documented, false and misleading.
We encourage and support any effort to educate and protect the public of the dangers related to intentional tanning. We call on the indoor tanning industry to provide consumers with accurate information to allow them to make informed decisions about the risks of tanning.
The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention is the united voice of 40 organizations, associations, and agencies dedicated to reducing skin cancer morbidity and mortality in the United States. The National Council members represent some of the nation’s premier researchers, clinicians and advocates for melanoma and skin cancer prevention. To learn more about the National Council, visit: www.skincancerprevention.org.
[1] American Cancer Society, Skin Cancer Facts.
[2] Purdue MP, Freeman LE, Anderson WF, Tucker MA. “Recent trends in incidence of cutaneous melanoma among US Caucasian young adults.” J Invest Dermatology. 2008 Dec; 128(12):2905-8. E-pub 2008 Jul 10.
[3] Cancer Epidemiology in Older Adolescents & Young Adults. SEER AYA Monograph Pages 53-57. 2007.
