Indoor Tanning Linked to Increased Melanoma Risk and DNA Damage

Indoor tanning drastically increases melanoma risk, according to a new study led by Northwestern Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco. This research reveals that indoor tanning is linked to nearly a threefold increase in the risk of melanoma, the most lethal form of skin cancer, responsible for about eleven thousand deaths in the U.S. annually.

Researchers examined thousands of medical records to compare melanoma rates in individuals who used tanning beds with those who did not. They found that melanoma was diagnosed in five point one percent of tanning bed users, compared to two point one percent in non-users.

Even after adjusting for factors such as age and family history, indoor tanning was associated with a two point eight five fold increase in melanoma risk. The study also found that tanning bed users had nearly twice as many DNA mutations in their melanocytes, the pigment-producing skin cells where melanoma begins, compared to individuals who had never used tanning beds.

This damage was observed not only on commonly exposed skin but also on areas typically shielded from the sun, indicating that tanning beds may cause more widespread DNA damage than natural sunlight. The findings were published on December twelfth in the journal Science Advances.

Lead author Dr. Pedram Gerami noted that even in normal skin from indoor tanning patients, they found DNA changes that predispose to melanoma, a finding that had not been shown before. This study arises from Gerami's clinical observations of high melanoma rates among women under fifty who frequently tanned indoors.

The research utilized single-cell DNA sequencing on skin biopsies from three groups: frequent indoor tanners, individuals who never used tanning beds, and cadaver donors for control samples. The results indicate a significant public health concern, as the indoor tanning industry has claimed that tanning beds are no more dangerous than natural sunlight.

Dr. Gerami advocates for stronger regulations, suggesting that indoor tanning should be illegal for minors and that tanning beds should carry warning labels similar to those on cigarette packages. He emphasizes the need for routine skin examinations for those with a history of indoor tanning.

The study was funded by several organizations, including the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense Melanoma Research Program.