United States Preventive Services Task Force Suggests Fair-Skinned Youth be Counseled to Avoid UV Rays
The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has prepared a draft of proposed guidelines (pdf) suggesting that physicians talk to young people with fair skin about protecting themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. This proposal is based on the best evidence based medicine available.
This decision is in line with the World Health Organization, Americanan Academy of Dermatology and American Academy of Pediatrics call for a ban on indoor tanning. It would be a tremendous step to focus on educating our youth – as habits started young will remain with patients throughout their life and be passed on to their families. Early intervention like this can have a huge impact over the next 50 years on decreasing skin cancer rates.
Melanoma Surveillance in the United States
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has published “Melanoma Surveillance in the United States “ in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. Among other findings, the report shows that “melanoma rates were higher among white females aged 50 and younger, Hispanic females aged 50 and younger, and Asian Pacific Islander females aged 40 and younger, compared to their male counterparts. This study also found that Hispanics, American Indian/Alaska Natives and Asians were diagnosed with melanoma at younger ages than whites and blacks.” CDC’s Marcus Plescia, MD, MPH, said that “new policies and prevention strategies are needed to address the leading preventable causes of melanoma.”
Young Women Disregard Warnings Linking Tanning To Melanoma Risk
The American Academy of Dermatology performed a study of more than 3,800 white non-Hispanic females ages 14 to 22. They discovered 81 percent of the women “said they had tanned outdoors either frequently or occasionally in the past year.” Tanning use increased with age, and women 18-22 years were almost twice as likely to have used indoor tanning than 14-17 year old girls.
It is disappointing to learn that 32% of young women used a tanning bed within the past year, and frightening to learn that 25% of those tanners visit a tanning bed on a weekly basis.
Britain Bans Indoor Tanning for Minors
The United Kingdom’s Sunbeds (Regulation) Act, implemented on April 8, prohibits children under 18 years of age are now banned from using ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices in Great Britain. Tanning salon staff who allow minors to tan could be liable for fines up to 20,000 pounds (about $33,000).
People who start tanning indoors before the age of 35 increase their risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, by 75 percent. UV radiation is a proven human carcinogen, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, an affiliate of the World Health Organization, includes UV tanning devices in its list of the most dangerous cancer-causing substances.
FDA Approval Offers Hope for Melanoma Patients
I
t took 13 years, but melanoma patients now have access to a new treatment at long last. On March 25, the FDA approved Yervoy (also known as Ipilimumab) to treat advanced melanoma. It is the first approved therapy proven to extend the lives of late-stage melanoma patients and the Melanoma Research Foundation supported some of the early research that led to the development of this drug.
People with melanoma have urgently needed a new treatment option like this, but more work lies ahead. Advances like Yervoy demonstrate the need to intensify research efforts, particularly studies that combine therapies, to develop successful treatments.
Two Or More People Under Age 35 Diagnosed With Malignant Melanoma Every Day
BBC News (4/6, Roberts) reports, “More than two people under 35 in Britain are diagnosed each day with malignant melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer,” according to Cancer Research UK. Their data shows there has been a “tripling in melanoma rates among 15- and 34-year-olds since the late 1970s and the rise is continuing.”
The UK’s Press Association (4/6) noted that in 1970, there were “1.8 cases of melanoma per 100,000 people in this age group, rising to 5.9 now.” It is believed that “sunbeds are playing a role in boosting cancer rates among young people, together with not taking care on summer holidays.” Launching its annual SunSmart campaign, which “promotes the use of suntan lotion and covering up in midday sun, the charity said more than 900 young Britons are newly diagnosed with the disease each year.” It also warned that “older people are at risk, with skin cancer rates rising among all age groups.” In 2007, there were “10,800 new cases among all ages, jumping to 11,700 cases in 2008 – an 8.5% rise.”
May 2, 2011 – Melanoma Monday
May 2, 2011
“Melanoma Monday” is the first Monday of May – and the kick-off of May Melanoma Skin Cancer Month with special activities nationally and locally. Also known as National Skin Self-Examination Day. People are encouraged to examine their skin for skin cancer.
On this day, please also consider and share these facts about Indoor Tanning:
- Indoor tanning is considered a carcinogen by The World Health Organization, International Agency for Research on Cancer, The American Medical Association, American Academy of Dermatology, and the American Academy of Pediatrics
- The risk of melanoma is increased by 75% when exposure to tanning beds occurs before the age of 30 (Lancet 2009)
- In the Skin Health Population Study, researchers found that those using tanning beds often were 2.5-3x more likely to develop melanoma thana person who never tanned indoors
- The Australian Melanoma Family Study identified 76% of the melanoma in patients between the ages of 18-39 to be attributed to tanning bed use
If you need to find a local dermatologist, you can look here.
Drug to Fight Melanoma Prolonged Life in Trial
Advanced melanoma patients taking an experimental drug aimed at a particular mutation in their tumors lived longer than patients who did not receive the drug in a decisive clinical trial, the drug’s manufacturer, Roche, said Wednesday.
About half of the 68,000 Americans who develop melanoma every year have a mutation in a gene, called B-RAF, that goes awry, for reasons not well understood, signaling cells to grow uncontrollably. The Roche drug works by blocking a malfunctioning protein the gene produces in cancer cells, but leaving the functioning proteins in noncancerous cells alone.
Laser To Diagnose Melanoma
Researchers say they’ve developed a new and potentially more accurate way to diagnose melanoma lesions, using laser technology. In early trial, technique was 100% accurate in correctly identifying cancerous lesions.
The laser equipment spots key differences in pigmentation between healthy skin and cancerous tissue, the team explained. The technique still requires a biopsy, but would potentially be able to eliminate any ambiguity in pathological diagnosis that might otherwise exit.
The sample size tested is small, so more research is needed to see if this pans out – but if it does, it may be a major diagnostic tool used in the not so distant future.
SOURCES: Duke University, news release, Feb. 23, 2011; Vijay Trisal, M.D., assistant professor, surgical oncology, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, Calif.