Tanning Bed Use Linked to the Development of Skin Cancer

Speaking at the 10th AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research, experts at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard Medical School, in Boston, presented new evidence associating the use of tanning beds to the development of skin cancers.

In fact, the team explained at the meeting, the use of such devices has been proven to boost the risk of three different types of skin cancer – basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.

Furthermore, the group was able to establish that the risk has the highest chances of coming to fruition during high school and college years, which is when most people use tanning beds anyway.

“The risk for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma increased by 15 percent for every four visits made to a tanning booth per year; the risk for melanoma increased by 11 percent,” a statement from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) explains.