Katie Couric eats everything the dermaterrorists are cooking.

[Ezliving_Jim]

Melanoma Rates Jumping For Young Women
NEW YORK, July 11, 2008 (CBS) New research shows there's been a disturbing increase in melanoma among young women. In 1973, there were five-and-a-half cases per 100,000 women, ages 15-39. But by 1980, the rate had nearly doubled. And it went up another 50 percent by 2004. During that same time, the melanoma rate for young men leveled off. Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer. Sixty-two thousand new cases are reported each year in this country and more than 8,000 Americans die from it. CBS News anchor Katie Couric spoke with Dr. Jeanine Downie, a board-certified dermatologist, about the recent developments.


Couric: Dr. Downie, when I heard these numbers I thought "Has the sun gotten stronger? Are young women spending more time outdoors?" What's behind this disturbing trend?

Downie: It's really worrisome. The ozone level is thinning so because of that, the greenhouse gas emission, the sun is stronger. This is not our grandmother's sun. That's the first thing I want to stress. Young women have increased leisure time so a lot of people are spending a lot of time outdoors.

Couric: What about tanning salons? Are they behind this at all?

Downie: Tanning salons are huge. Let's say an average of one million people tan per day. And of that, 71 percent of tanning salon patrons are young women age 16 to 29. So there's the answer to your question because these new tanning booths, the ones with the high pressure tanning bulbs, they're 12 to 15 times the strength of the sun. So it's unbelievable the harm and the damage they can do. And if you expose yourself to tanning salons before the age of 39, you'll increase your risk of getting melanoma by I think it's 75 percent.

Couric: Well, we asked the Indoor Tanning Association for a statement or a reaction to this study and they said: "…[the] likely reason behind the rising melanoma rates is that more people are getting screened for the disease and that our ability to detect the cancer earlier and more often has improved."

What do you think of that explanation?

Downie: I completely disagree. Increased screening is leading to us catching melanomas earlier so people aren't dying as frequently from melanomas as they used to. That's what increased screening is doing. Increased screening is not bumping up the rates. I totally disagree with that.

Couric: We also hear lately the importance of getting vitamin D from the sun. So we're getting a lot of mixed messages in terms of sun exposure. What would you advise people to do?

Downie: America is not a nutritionally depleted country. If anything, Americans tend to be heavy. So we can get vitamin D from our diet and if not we can get it from nutritional supplements, i.e. vitamins, and that would be fine. That's what I recommend.

Couric: What should people look for in terms of the early signs of melanoma?

Downie: So you want to look for a darkly pigmented mole on your body. So just a regular mole and then you say, "Hmm, that doesn't fold back on itself; I can no longer put a line through it." That means it's asymmetrical. There are many moles where the borders are irregular. If they look scalloped, that's a problem.

Couric: You should get your skin checked once a year at least, correct?

Downie: And if you have a history of melanoma, it should be two or three times a year.

video and source: Melanoma Rates Jumping For Young Women , CBS News Anchor Katie Couric Speaks With Dr. Jeanine Downie About The Disturbing Trend - CBS News

[frankie]

Yea that was it. Made me sick. How many studies have been done on HP beds? I would be willing to bet that dermatologist does not know the difference in a HP bed and any other tanning bed. "She thinks it`s 75%" Just because it comes from the mouth of a dermatologist it is fact I am sure.

[solarmeter®]

The ozone level is thinning so because of that, the greenhouse gas emission, the sun is stronger.

Totally false. Ozone layer DU is remaining seasonly constant over the mid latitudes 95% of us live in. And the UV Index is gradually decreasing... less UVB.... due to more "haze" in the atmosphere (everything from burning of rain forests to water vapor).

While "direct" UVB solar irradiance is decreasing, the diffuse component is increasing from scattering through the haze. End result equalizes out to be same amount as "our grandmother's sun" for total dose rate.

It is dose not dose rate that matters for biological response. That is why tanning beds have timers and the sun does not. Controlled vs off-the-chain exposure.

[Ezliving_Jim]

Washington Post

Tanning Beds and Cancer



Friday, July 18, 2008; Page A16


The July 11 front-page article "Melanoma Rates Increase Among Younger Women" gave much-needed attention to a critical trend.

But the Indoor Tanning Association's claim that there is no scientific evidence showing that indoor tanning causes melanoma could further confuse readers.

In fact, researchers strongly disagree, as demonstrated by a recent petition -- signed by nearly 500 of the world's melanoma researchers -- affirming such evidence.

Recent studies show a 75 percent increase in risk for melanoma in people who begin using tanning beds in their teens or 20s.

Moreover, with indoor tanning exposure, there is an elevated risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancers, some of which may be lethal.

Given the increased melanoma rates among younger women, avoidance of indoor tanning is one of the most striking ways of reducing skin cancer risk.

DAVID FISHER

Boston


The writer is head of dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines
-------------

Dermatology : Staff : David E. Fisher, MD, PhD Chief of Dermatology

[Ezliving_Jim]

Originally Posted by Ezliving_Jim

Washington Post

Tanning Beds and Cancer



Friday, July 18, 2008; Page A16


The July 11 front-page article "Melanoma Rates Increase Among Younger Women" gave much-needed attention to a critical trend.

But the Indoor Tanning Association's claim that there is no scientific evidence showing that indoor tanning causes melanoma could further confuse readers.

In fact, researchers strongly disagree, as demonstrated by a recent petition -- signed by nearly 500 of the world's melanoma researchers -- affirming such evidence.

Recent studies show a 75 percent increase in risk for melanoma in people who begin using tanning beds in their teens or 20s.

Moreover, with indoor tanning exposure, there is an elevated risk of developing nonmelanoma skin cancers, some of which may be lethal.

Given the increased melanoma rates among younger women, avoidance of indoor tanning is one of the most striking ways of reducing skin cancer risk.

DAVID FISHER

Boston


The writer is head of dermatology at Massachusetts General Hospital.
washingtonpost.com - nation, world, technology and Washington area news and headlines
-------------

Dermatology : Staff : David E. Fisher, MD, PhD Chief of Dermatology

This is the same Dr David Fisher from the Dana-Farber study:

Harvard / Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Study: Tanning Protects Against Skin Cancer

and this comment...

Author of Dana-Farber study has turned on the indoor tanning industry.

[solman]

So which is it? We've been told by "our side" that there is no research showing a direct link between indoor tanning and melonoma. If that is indeed the case I would expect a very strong reply letter to be sent shortly from the ITA. Anything less is an admission of guilt.

[Ezliving_Jim]

I think, at the very least, we are on thin ice touting the Dana-Farber study now.

Dermaterrorists are circling their wagons.

[EliteMike]

Anyone else think the Berman campaign may have opened up the wrong can of worms?

[Tanning Queen]

I dont think Berman had any impact on much. This was long in the works before Berman. Each year I have seen more and more negative stories on tanning. We are just slow to respond and dont have the money or organization to fight well.

[EliteMike]

oh I think Berman caused a lot of this this year. Alot of negativity points back to what was said in our ads

[Tanning Queen]

What ads? I didnt see anything really out there.

What they are saying is the same crap they have said for years. It just has gotten worse over the last 5 I would say. When I first opened, it was never like this...

[EliteMike]

They seen the ads, they seen the commercials and they put the ITA on the spot and made us look like asses

[Tanning Queen]

They have gone after the ITA before. Nothing new. I guess I have been in this so long it all seems routine. It just wasnt this bad when I started. But has progressively gotten worse over the years. Sucks...

[EliteMike]

well just about every interview quoted the little campaign that went on

[tuscantan]

It doesn't cost anyway to report their side of the story....it doesn't cost money to contact news reporters to say you want to say your side....It doesn't cost money to be interviewed. In the past 2 weeks of reports I have need about this, their has been NO ONE from the campaign or ITA to state their side, just a letter if even that.

[tuscantan]

and mind you, I also sent emails to the news (Fox especially) stating I was very upset they didn't tell both sides, seems how that is what they strive on is being fair and balanced.