Solariums almost double cancer risk

[Ezliving_Jim]

Solariums almost double cancer risk

Article from: AAP

By Jessica Marszalek
January 14, 2008 02:48pm


PEOPLE under the age of 35 raise the risk of forming a dangerous melanoma skin cancer by an 98 per cent if they use solariums, a new study has revealed.
The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency study also found an individual's chance of developing a melanoma - the rarest but deadliest form of skin cancer - increased by 22 per cent if they had used a solarium just once.

Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) scientist Louisa Gordon, who collated the findings of 21 studies in the research project, said the results were concerning given the rapid growth of the solarium industry.

She said Australians were diagnosed with more than 9500 melanomas each year, ending in more than 1100 deaths.

QIMR estimated about 12 to 62 of those cases each year were directly attributable to indoor tanning devices, she said.

"We believe approximately 1000 melanomas and up to 12,000 squamous cell carcinomas (a less severe but sometimes fatal skin cancer) could be avoided in the next generation of young Australians if the Government instigated more stringent industry regulations," Dr Gordon said.

Current voluntary standards which prohibited people under 18 and people with fair skin from using sun beds should be legally enforced, she said.

"Solariums emit stronger UVB rays, stronger than the outdoor sun ... it's very dangerous, it's very high levels of radiation that we shouldn't be exposed to," she said.

"I don't think there should be (a solarium industry) but we shouldn't have a cigarette industry either."

The results were announced at Suncorp's Sunwise launch where the mother of a 25-year-old melanoma victim appealed for people to have themselves checked.

Tracey Eather's daughter Amanda died late last year after a two-year battle with the disease, leaving her husband and two-year-old son behind.

Ms Eather said her daughter had rarely exposed herself to the sun but had used solariums in the past.

She said doctors did not know whether that had directly contributed to the melanoma.

"Some people just think it's a skin cancer that might get burnt off at the doctor's or cut out - a little scar or whatever," she said.

"But it can go into your body, invade your body or your bones or your organs. It can go anywhere.

"It's really a death sentence once it's gone into your bloodstream."

Ms Eather said her family was working to set up a melanoma awareness foundation in Amanda's memory.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/sto...005961,00.html

[Ezliving_Jim]

ABC NEWS

Solarium users '98pc more likely' to get skin cancer


Queensland researchers say people under the age of 35 who use solariums are 98 per cent more likely to develop skin cancer.

Doctor Louisa Gordon, from the Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR), estimates that up to 62 new cases of melanoma diagnosed in Australia each year can be attributed to solarium use.

Doctor Gordon says she is concerned the tanning industry is rapidly expanding.

"More and more people are going to solariums and are unaware of the health risks so we want to indicate these are dangerous," she said.

"When a person uses a solarium they are increasing their risk of melanoma and other skin cancers and other health effects."

Also, people who have only ever used a solarium once have a 22 per cent increased risk of developing skin cancer.

Dr Gordon says young people should be banned from using solariums.

"The Government needs to intervene in the solarium industry to minimise those harmful effects and to monitor solarium practices," she said.

"Ideally that would be through enforcing the current regulations, which would prohibit people under 18-years-old and those with fair skin."

Queensland Health Minister Stephen Robertson is due to report to Cabinet early this year on options for regulating solarium use and cosmetic surgery for minors.

Source

[Ezliving_Jim]

Study reinforces cancer danger of solariums

Article from: </IMG>

By Neil Hickey
January 14, 2008 12:05pm


A NEW Queensland study has raised more concerns about the links between cancer and using solariums.

The Queensland Institute of Medical Research says solarium users under 35 years old have a 98 per cent increased risk of contracting skin cancer.

The report comes less than six months after the death of Melbourne woman Clare Oliver.

The former television journalist died just after her 26th birthday in September after contracting melanoma, which she blamed on sustained use of tanning beds.

Dr Louisa Gordon said 21 studies investigating solariums clearly showed links to skin cancer among young people.

"Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. (We) estimated the new number of cases of melanoma attributable to indoor tanning devices is in the range of 12 to 62 a year," she said.

Dr Gordon said the institute was calling for more stringent industry regulations.

In addition to the human cost, she said tougher laws could save Medicare about $300,000 for every 100,000 people.

The announcements came at the launch of the 2008 Suncorp SunWise campaign, which will publicise the dangers of sun exposure.

More than 2300 melanomas are diagnosed among Queenslanders every year.

Source

[WendyJo]

Oh, that's just great.

[Ezliving_Jim]

Tanning salon owners are sociopathic serial killers with UV death ray machines, don't you know.

[WendyJo]

Originally Posted by Ezliving_Jim

Tanning salon owners are sociopathic serial killers with UV death ray machines, don't you know.

Man, I couldn't fit all of that on my business card... can I shorten my title to "SSKWUVDRM"?

[stan@sunsys]

Originally Posted by Ezliving_Jim

Solariums almost double cancer risk

Article from: AAP
"Solariums emit stronger UVB rays, stronger than the outdoor sun ... it's very dangerous, it's very high levels of radiation that we shouldn't be exposed to," she said.

Anyone who would make that stupid statement shows they know nothing, or very little of the laws of photobiology pertaining to reciprocity. Since the moron that made that statement is an (the?) author of this so called "study", which is actually an analysis of previous studies, I think it's safe to say this "paper" is a bunch of crap with maybe a little true science or statistics thrown in to make it look good.

Maybe it should be re-title to "How to validate unfounded preconceptions of a dermatologist".

And the nonsense of one time usage causing 22% increase is pure statistical idiocy. Don't even dare to believe it for a second.

[solarmeter®]

Double amen. They are blinded by their own agenda.

They are to be discounted... just like a department store xmas sale.

[Editor-in-Chief]

Tanning beds are deadly: new study

12:00a.m. 15 January 2008
| Amy Remeikis and AAP

What will you end up paying if you decide to get a fake tan on a sunbed?

Researchers have found that for those under 35, a trip to the solarium to maintain that “healthy glow” could end up costing you your life.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency has found that the chances of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer, a melanoma, increased by 22% with just one trip to a tanning bed.

Melanomas are the rarest form of skin cancer, but those under 35 raise their risk of developing the deadly cancer by 98% with a trip to the solarium.

Queensland Institute of Medical Research scientist Louisa Gordon, who collated the study’s findings, said the research raised serious questions about the rapid growth of the tanning industry.

She said more than 9500 Australians were diagnosed with melanomas each year, and more than 1100 people lost their battle with the cancer.

QIMR estimated between 12 and 62 of those cases could be directly linked to indoor tanning devices.

Dr Gordon is calling for stronger standards for the solarium industry, including banning people aged under 18 from using sun beds.

“Solariums emit stronger UVB rays, stronger than the outdoor sun ... it’s very dangerous, it’s very high levels of radiation that we shouldn’t be exposed to,” she said.

“I don’t think there should be (a solarium industry) but we shouldn’t have a cigarette industry, either.”

Sunshine Coast local medical association president Dr Mason Stevenson said the research findings came as no surprise.

“It reinforces the call by the AMA to ban solarium access to anyone under 18 years of age and reinforces the need for either one of two things – the total ban on solariums full stop, or strict guidelines as to their usage and strict accreditation of solariums and their operators,” he said.

“I do believe there is a genuine and increasing understanding by the community of the dangers of UVA and UVB light, but sadly beauty, or the perceived beauty associated with tanning, seems to over-ride common sense.”

Source

[Editor-in-Chief]

One solarium trip raises melanoma risk

Sarah Elks | January 15, 2008


NEW research has found that people under the age of 35 who use solariums toemulate the Aussie ideal of a golden tanare increasing their risk of developingdeadly melanoma skin cancer by 98 per cent.

The Queensland Institute of Medical Research study, led by scientist Louisa Gordon, compiled results from 21 investigations and found tanning beds were the cause of between 12 and 62 new cases of melanoma in Australia each year.

The research found one trip to a solarium was all it took to increase the risk of developing melanoma by 22 per cent, compared with a person who had never used a tanning bed.

Australians are diagnosed with more than 9500 melanomas each year, ending in more than 1100 deaths. The study exploded the myth that indoor tanning beds were safer than sunbaking outside.

Dr Gordon said tanning salons were very dangerous and were not a safe or healthy option. "Solariums emit stronger UVB rays, stronger than the outdoor sun ... it's very dangerous, it's very high levels of radiation that we shouldn't be exposed to," Dr Gordon said in Brisbane yesterday.

She urged governments to tighten regulations on the rapidly expanding solarium industry, which could prevent 1000 melanomas in the next generation of young Australians. Dr Gordon said voluntary standards that prohibited people under 18 and those with fair skin from using sun beds should be legally enforced.

A meeting of the nation's health ministers late last year resolved to develop a national approach to the regulation of the solarium industry. Queensland looks set to become the first state to introduce legislation for tanning salons.

State Health Minister Stephen Robertson will urge cabinet to legislate for tighter regulations within the next couple ofmonths.

"The Government has a responsibility to step in," Mr Robertson told The Australian. "We have concerns about aspects of the industry ... in some places, young women can access coin-operated solariums where there's no on-site supervision ... which is unacceptable."

At the launch of the report in Brisbane yesterday, the mother of a 25-year-old melanoma victim implored people to be "sunsmart" and avoid solariums.

Tracy Eather's daughter Amanda Carter fought a two-year battle with cancer and died late last year. Ms Eather said Amanda did not spend a lot of time in the sun but had visited tanning salons before her formal and her wedding.

Having lost her daughter, who left behind a young son and husband, Ms Eather said her family was striving to establish a melanoma awareness foundation. "I said to Amanda in her last few days, 'There's no way you're going to go through this horrific pain without some good coming from it'," Ms Eather said.

Source

[sunsally]

Years of statistics, psychometrics and econometrics and I still can't figure out how 12 to 62 new cases of melanoma (that they say were "caused" by tanning beds) adds up to 22% or 98% of anything out of 9800 melanoma cases and 1100 melanoma deaths per year.

Do we assume that the 12-62 cases that visited a solarium ONE time were otherwise raised in a cave and never saw direct sunlight?

There isn't much that burns me up more than Junk Science and Statistics purporting to be facts and news!