Posted : 12/01/2003

Posted : 12/01/2003

MEDIA MISINTERPRET DECADE-OLD STUDY
Customers Continue To Tan Responsibly

In mid-October, media reports ignited across the United States regarding a supposed new study on indoor tanning that supports the fact that UV tanning is dangerous.

A Prospective Study of Pigmentation, Sun Exposure, and Risk of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma in Women by Veierd, Weiderpass, Thrn, Hansson, Lund, Armstrong and Adami was published in the October issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study was released and published throughout many U.S. media outlets. The medias attempt at interpreting this study was inaccurate, leading to false perceptions regarding indoor tanning to the public.

Why were the media reports of this study flawed? The study analyzed 100,000 women from Norway and Sweden between the ages of 30 and 50 who completed a questionnaire in 1991 and 1992. Many of the subjects were fair-haired, blue-eyed and of Swedish origin. During a follow-up period of slightly more than eight years, 187 cases of melanoma were diagnosed. That equates to a minuscule 0.00187 percent. The study did not consider any other possible confounding factors, such as smoking or alcohol consumption.

Typically, Scandinavians are not likely to tan in the sun, and they generally suffer a reddening of the skin or sunburn. Certain people are more predisposed to skin cancer. If so, UV radiation (indoors or outdoors) should be avoided. It is possible that, besides indoor tanning, those in the study had numerous outdoor exposures in their livessuch as intermittent exposures, tempting sunburn and potentially skin cancer, during the summer months.

The study confirms what we already have known for years: Hair color, the amount and size of nevi, or moles, and history of sunburn are risk factors for melanoma. However, it suggestsnot conclusively confirmsthat the use of a tanning salon is also associated. Researchers admitted, It is still too early to see the full effect of adult exposures.

The media took extreme liberties with the research in order to implicate the indoor tanning industry. In fact, it completely ignored research that melanoma mortality rates for women in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50sa prime indoor tanning demographichave decreased over the last 30 years.

As much of the indoor tanning industry noted, this information is old news. The Suntanning Association for Education has been educating thousands of salon operators and their employees about the risk factors since 1986.

Relying on a decade-old study from Scandinavian countries cannot and should not be used as an indictment to those who tan indoors according to skin type, in moderation and responsibly.