The 2009 report of the Status of Cancer provides us with some interesting data.
1.) Fatality from cancer is dropping. The continued decline from all cancers combined for men and women is no doubt from increased screening, reduction of risk factors and improved treatment.
2.) Media claims to the contrary, the leading incidence rates for cancer in men are from prostate, lung and colon/rectum cancer. For women, its breast, lung and colon/rectum. Melanoma ranks 6th for both in incidence.
3.) The leading fatality rates for men are also lung, prostate and colon/rectum. For women, its lung, breast and colon/retum. Melanoma ranks 15th in men and not included in the top 20 cancers for women.
The data from the 2009 Status of Cancer seems to support new research from the UK. Claims of an increase in melanoma may be the result of heightened
sensitivity and caution on the side of doctors in classifying benign tumors as
melanoma. The study from the UK indicates..."Dermatologists, pathologists and other medical practitioners have become more cautious in the last two decades, as the consequences of a wrong diagnosis have become more pervasive," the authors wrote in their analysis of the data. Present findings make it extremely unlikely that the reported large increase in the incidence of melanoma is real," the authors concluded.
The increase in reported cases was found almost entirely in Stage 1 melanoma,
an early stage of the cancer".
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUS187982+22-Jun-2009+PRN20090622
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tanning Myths Debunked
Tanning Myths Revealed
The top 5 tanning myths are:
1.) Indoor tanning beds are 100 times stronger than sunlight.
This is probably the most often used statement by those against the controlled output of UV emitted by indoor tanning beds. The intensity of the sun is dependent on the time of day, time of year, pollutants, cloud cover, altitude, proximity to the equator, and reflective surfaces like sun, sand, and snow. There is no standard emission of sunlight. The output of the sun at 9am in Boston in January certainly differs from the output on a sunny Jamaican beach in July.
2.) Pregnant women should avoid indoor tanning beds because of microwaves.
Indoor tanning beds do not emit microwaves. They typically emit a combination of UVA and UVB wavelengths that can only penetrate through the top layers of the skin to produce a cosmetic tan. They do not have sufficient strength to penetrate futher. Pregnant women should avoid sunbeds as well as jacuzzi's, whirlpools, saunas and other similar sources of heat.
3.) I heard that a young girl died from burning her liver after tanning 7 times before her wedding.
This urban legend has been around for years and would certainly have made the mainstream news media if true. Again, the UV emitted from a tanning bed doesn't have sufficient energy to penetrate past the subcutaneous layer of the skin.
4.) Indoor tanning is the cause of the increasingly higher rates of skin cancer in young women.
Skin cancer screenings are probably the easiest to complete, the least invasive and least expensive of all cancer screenings. But that's a good thing. If skin cancer is detected early, it has a really high cure rate. Early detection is the key. Through medical technology, doctors are now able to detect and cure many forms of skin cancer, but that also leads to the fact that they are finding it more often which leads some the conclusion that it's increasing. Is it increasing or are we finding more? Ask any dermatologist if they are seeing more patients now than 10 years ago. In addition, remember that SPF's were not widely available or used prior to the 80's which also may contribute to these higher rates.
5.) Teens have a high rate of melanoma because so many tan indoors.
According to the American Cancer Society's SEER report which tracks cancer incidence and fatality rates in the US, between 2002-2006 (most recent available) 80% of those diagnosed with skin cancer were age 45 years or older and 0.9 % are under age 20. Predominately more men than women obtain skin cancer, though according to the American Academy of Dermatogy, indoor tanners are overwhelmingly female (70%). And perhaps more strikingly, these rates do not include basal or squamous cell carcinomas as no statistical data is kept for these according to the American Cancer Society. All rates of these two skin cancers are estimated.
For more factual information on indoor tanning, visit www.suntanningedu.com
The top 5 tanning myths are:
1.) Indoor tanning beds are 100 times stronger than sunlight.
This is probably the most often used statement by those against the controlled output of UV emitted by indoor tanning beds. The intensity of the sun is dependent on the time of day, time of year, pollutants, cloud cover, altitude, proximity to the equator, and reflective surfaces like sun, sand, and snow. There is no standard emission of sunlight. The output of the sun at 9am in Boston in January certainly differs from the output on a sunny Jamaican beach in July.
2.) Pregnant women should avoid indoor tanning beds because of microwaves.
Indoor tanning beds do not emit microwaves. They typically emit a combination of UVA and UVB wavelengths that can only penetrate through the top layers of the skin to produce a cosmetic tan. They do not have sufficient strength to penetrate futher. Pregnant women should avoid sunbeds as well as jacuzzi's, whirlpools, saunas and other similar sources of heat.
3.) I heard that a young girl died from burning her liver after tanning 7 times before her wedding.
This urban legend has been around for years and would certainly have made the mainstream news media if true. Again, the UV emitted from a tanning bed doesn't have sufficient energy to penetrate past the subcutaneous layer of the skin.
4.) Indoor tanning is the cause of the increasingly higher rates of skin cancer in young women.
Skin cancer screenings are probably the easiest to complete, the least invasive and least expensive of all cancer screenings. But that's a good thing. If skin cancer is detected early, it has a really high cure rate. Early detection is the key. Through medical technology, doctors are now able to detect and cure many forms of skin cancer, but that also leads to the fact that they are finding it more often which leads some the conclusion that it's increasing. Is it increasing or are we finding more? Ask any dermatologist if they are seeing more patients now than 10 years ago. In addition, remember that SPF's were not widely available or used prior to the 80's which also may contribute to these higher rates.
5.) Teens have a high rate of melanoma because so many tan indoors.
According to the American Cancer Society's SEER report which tracks cancer incidence and fatality rates in the US, between 2002-2006 (most recent available) 80% of those diagnosed with skin cancer were age 45 years or older and 0.9 % are under age 20. Predominately more men than women obtain skin cancer, though according to the American Academy of Dermatogy, indoor tanners are overwhelmingly female (70%). And perhaps more strikingly, these rates do not include basal or squamous cell carcinomas as no statistical data is kept for these according to the American Cancer Society. All rates of these two skin cancers are estimated.
For more factual information on indoor tanning, visit www.suntanningedu.com
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