The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal

MAY 2014

The 2012 edition of The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal features medically reviewed, reader-friendly articles such as tanning, the increasing incidence of skin cancer diagnoses among young women, & the prevalence of melanoma among white males over 50.

Issue link: https://skincancer.epubxp.com/i/319518

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 66 of 103

the Medicare population increased on average 4.2 percent annually between 1992 and 2006. 1 Skin cancer does not develop overnight; there can be a lag period of many years between the original damage and the appearance of a lesion, and each additional bit of damage adds to the chances that a skin cancer will indeed arise. Skin damage you did 30 years ago could play a part in a skin cancer you develop this year. A single blister- ing sunburn in childhood or adolescence, or fve sunburns by any age, more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life. 6,7 Adding Insult to Injury U nfortunately, when people aren't broiling in the sun, they may be roasting in tanning beds. These devices mainly produce UVA light, the more efective tanning wavelength (while UVB is more responsible for sunburn), and many salon owners still try to sell tanning based on the idea that UVA is not only safer than UVB but actually protective because it provides a "base tan." It has worked for them: n early 30 million people tan indoors in the US every year. 8 However, we now know that both kinds of rays signifcantly dam- age our skin; in fact, UVA penetrates deeper than UVB, and is the primary UV wavelength behind premature skin aging.Tanning is literally the skin cells' response to DNA damage; the damage can cause mu- tations that lead to skin cancer. Either the truth about tanning beds has eluded Ameri- cans, or they're ignoring it, and they are paying the price. According to a recent major international study, more people are developing skin cancer from tanning beds than are developing lung cancer from cigarettes; over 400,000 cases of skin cancer in the US each year are now linked to indoor tanning. 9 Young women are the greatest users, and many experts blame this for their soaring melanoma rates; women aged 39 and under now have a higher probabil- ity of developing melanoma than any other cancer except breast cancer. 10 Sunscreens Then and Now G iven the lag time between when UV damage occurs and skin cancers arise, sunscreens' former incomplete protection against UVA rays could have left unwary con- sumers vulnerable today. Originally, sunscreens were cre- ated specifcally to flter out UVB rays to prevent sunburn; the well-known SPF (sun protection factor) measurement referred to UVB protection alone. Only as studies emerged showing the dangers of UVA rays did manufacturers add ingredients extending sunscreen protection into the UVA range. The concept of "broad spectrum" sunscreens was born, meaning sunscreens that protected against both UVB and UVA, but it took decades before the protection was truly broad spectrum; some parts of the UVA spectrum were still not well screened, and people went out into the sun mistakenly thinking they were fully protected. It was not until June 18, 2012, after improved UVA sunscreens were developed and UVA protection measurements estab- lished, that the FDA fnally issued labeling standards for proportional broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection in sunscreens – and these regulations really went into ef- fect in 2013. Making the Horses Drink W ith more efective sunscreens available, will it make a diference? The old saying, you can lead a horse to water, but can't make him drink, unfortunately applies too often to sun protection. Americans have better awareness of the causes of skin cancer, but don't necessarily change their behavior. Consumers have access not just to better Go With Your Own Glow TM public service announcements are available for media usage. For more information, please contact Carla Barry-Austin, (212) 725-5176, ext. 106, CBarryaustin@skincancer.org. 65

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of The Skin Cancer Foundation Journal - MAY 2014