Studies and news reports that expand the scope of Environment & Human Health, Inc.'s (EHHI) research reports about health and the environment. Click here for full reports at www.ehhi.org.
12 Steps to Reducing Carcinogenic Exposures
Indoor Tanning Strong Risk Factor For Skin Cancer In Young People Young people who use indoor tanning beds or similar devices have a 69% higher risk of developing a type of skin cancer called basal cell carcinoma (BCC), reports a new study. Led by researchers from the Yale School of Public Health, the study was published online in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. The risk was strongest among women and increased with every year of using indoor tanning. Click here for news story.
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) calls tanning a "hazard" for minors The AAP has published a policy statement that would bar children from using tanning beds or other artificial tanning devices. "Pediatricians should support and advocate for legislation to ban access to tanning parlors for children younger than 18 years," the AAP said in its policy statement on ultraviolet radiation, published in the March issue of Pediatrics. Other agencies to warn against the use of tanning beds are the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Dermatology. Click here for link to AAP's statement.
Avoid indoor tanning to prevent deadly and costly, warns the CDC According to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States.Melanoma is the third most common skin cancer, but is more likely to cause death than other skin cancers, causing 8,000 U.S. deaths and costing billions of dollars annually. Deaths caused by melanoma accounted for $3.5 billion in lost productivity each year during 2004-2006. The CDC recommends avoiding indoor tanning. Click here for the CDC's press release.
University of Minnesota study links indoor tanning to melanoma Frequent use of tanning beds can triple someone's risk of developing the deadliest form of skin cancer—no matter how old they are when they start—according to a study published in May 2010 by researchers at the University of Minnesota. Click here for news story.
Tanning beds as deadly as cigarettes
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently ranked ultraviolet-emitting tanning beds among the highest cancer risks, along with cigarettes, arsenic and asbestos. EHHI's pamphlet, 12 Steps to Reducing Carcinogenic Exposures, outlines ways to avoid cancer-causing threats to human health. Tanning beds used for cosmetic reasons are now classified as "carcinogenic to humans." Click here for news story.
Study links formaldehyde to more common cancers
Formaldehyde has long been linked to rare tumors of the nasopharynx, which includes the back of the throat, but new research links the chemical compound to cancers of the blood and lymphatic system. Click here for story.
