The U.S. Surgeon General’s office is calling on Americans to do more to help prevent skin cancer, saying that it is a growing public health problem.
The five-point call to action singled out ultraviolet light exposure – from indoor and outdoor tanning – as a major culprit in the growing incidence of all cancers, and melanoma, in particular.
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The call to action singled out ultraviolet light exposure - from indoor and outdoor tanning - as a major culprit in the growing incidence of all cancers.
"Tanned skin is damaged skin," Acting Surgeon General, Boris D. Lushniak, a dermatologist, said at a briefing to release the report.
"When people tan or get sunburned, they increase their risk of getting skin cancer later in life," he said, adding that the nation needs to change its cultural acceptance of tanning as a sign of health.
The report noted that about 5 million Americans are treated for skin cancer each year, at a cost of $8 billion. Melanoma is of the greatest concern; its incidence has tripled over the past 3 decades, with 63,000 new cases per year. Some 9,000 Americans die from melanoma each year, and death rates are on the rise in men, Dr. Howard Koh, assistant secretary for health at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, said at the briefing.
Both Dr. Koh and Dr. Lushniak singled out indoor tanning as particularly dangerous. The Surgeon General’s report cited research showing that indoor tanning may be associated with more than 400,000 cases of skin cancer, including 6,000 melanomas, per year.
Forty-four states and the District of Columbia have some type of indoor tanning laws or regulations. Eleven states – California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Vermont and Washington – prohibit indoor tanning by individuals under age 18. But indoor tanning remains popular: One in three white women aged 16-25 years engages in indoor tanning each year, according to the report.
In May, the Food and Drug Administration issued stricter rules for sunlamps used with indoor tanning, requiring a boxed warning that they should not be used on anyone younger than 18 years. The agency also required that more information on risks and contraindications be provided to sunlamp users, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg noted in a statement on the Surgeon General’s report.
Courtesy of HHS
Dr. Boris Lushniak
The five main points in the Surgeon General’s call to action are:
• Increase opportunities for sun protection in outdoor settings, such as increasing shade in recreational areas, and providing more protection for school children and outdoor workers.
• Give individuals information to make informed, healthy choices about UV exposure, including providing materials in workplaces and schools, and partnering with physicians and health systems.
• Promote policies that advance the goal of preventing skin cancer, such as encouraging electronic reporting of reportable skin cancers.
• Reduce harms from indoor tanning by enforcing existing laws and considering additional restrictions.
• Strengthen research, surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation.
The American Academy of Dermatology Association applauded the report.
"The American public needs to be aware that the dangers of ultraviolet radiation exposure are real," Dr. Brett M. Coldiron, president of the AADA, said in a statement. "The AADA is particularly pleased that the HHS and the Office of the Surgeon General have highlighted methods for the public to prevent skin cancer in this white paper, that include seeking shade, wearing protective clothing, applying sunscreen, and avoiding dangerous indoor tanning devices."
John Seffrin, Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, noted that this is the first time there has been a national action plan regarding skin cancer.
"By bringing national attention to this growing public health crisis, the Surgeon General is calling on all of us to reinvigorate the fight against skin cancer," he said. "The Surgeon General’s Call to Action outlines achievable goals and strategies to support more Americans in making healthy choices about protecting their skin," Dr. Seffrin said.
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