WASHINGTON – As teens and others flock to tanning beds and ignore warnings about avoiding exposure to sunlight and ultra-violet rays, the rate of skin cancer in America is on the rise, prompting a call to action Tuesday from the Surgeon General to prevent the disease.
“Each day, thousands of teens are exposing themselves, unprotected, to harmful UV radiation from tanning beds, but only 10 states currently have laws in place to prevent this practice for youth younger than age 18 years,” said Boris D. Lushniak, Acting Surgeon General. “Together, we must communicate the risks in a clear and effective way.”
The goal of the “call to action” is to increase awareness of skin cancer and to call for actions to reduce its risk.
Millions of people are treated for skin cancer each year in the United States, and skin cancer rates are increasing, creating a serious public health concern that cannot be ignored.
Skin cancer treatment costs an estimated at $8.1 billion every year. Melanoma is responsible for the most deaths of all skin cancers, with nearly 9,000 people dying from it each year. It is also one of the most common types of cancer among U.S. adolescents and young adults. Annually, about $3.3 billion of skin cancer treatment costs are attributable to melanoma.
Although genetic factors, such as being fair-skinned or having a family history of skin cancer, contribute to a person’s risk, the most common types of skin cancer are also strongly associated with exposure to UV radiation. UV exposure is also the most preventable cause of skin cancer. The call to action focuses on reducing UV exposure, with an emphasis on addressing excessive, avoidable, or unnecessary UV exposures (such as prolonged sun exposure without adequate sun protection) and intentional exposure for the purpose of skin tanning, such as using a tanning bed or sunbathing outdoors.
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