Northwestern Medicine study finds tanning bed use triples risk of melanoma
CBS News••health
Key Points:
- A study by Northwestern Medicine and UCSF found that tanning beds triple the risk of melanoma and cause DNA damage across nearly the entire skin surface, not just sun-exposed areas.
- Researchers compared 3,000 tanning bed users to 3,000 non-users and discovered tanning bed users had nearly twice as many mutations in melanocytes, with a 2.85-fold increased risk of melanoma after adjusting for other factors.
- Melanoma was more common on typically covered body parts like the lower back and buttocks in tanning bed users, indicating broader DNA damage than from natural sun exposure.
- Dr. Pedram Gerami urged policy changes, including banning indoor tanning for minors and adding warning labels similar to cigarettes, emphasizing the need
