Sunbeds cause skin cancer – is this really the case?
It is a widely held belief that the use of sunbeds increases the risk of developing skin cancer. But now a large-scale study carried out by the University of Leeds in the UK is showing how the opposite is in fact true.
Over the years, various groups of researchers have tried in vain to establish a link between the use of sunbeds and the spread of dangerous malignant melanoma and the media have always been more than willing to add more fuel to the fires of anxiety engendered by this topic. However, we often forget that UV exposure is crucial if the body is to maintain an adequate level of vitamin D, which in turn has a positive effect on the entire immune system.
Led by Faye Elliot, a high-level team of scientists from the University of Leeds has spent years researching the link between UV radiation and malignant melanoma. The team carried out a study involving around 1,000 participants, aged between 16 and 76, who had all been diagnosed with malignant melanoma. The results were then compared with those of a healthy control group. In addition to a wide range of information such as skin type and family predisposition, all study participants were asked when they first used a sunbed, how often they use sunbeds and how long they spend in the sun.
The study showed no evidence of a link between sunbed use and an elevated risk of skin cancer. It is also interesting that the study was held in the UK, where a very large number of people are skin type 1, with the correspondingly high risk of developing skin cancer.
When it comes to UV exposure – whether from the sun or a sunbed – it’s all a question of how much. „In today’s competitive society, where people spend more time at their desks than outside in the fresh air, moderate exposure to sunlight from sunbeds can help to boost vitamin D levels. This is particularly helpful during those months when there is very little natural sunlight around, in other words between September to April“, Ad Brand of the Sunlight Research Forum (SRF) explains.
Source:
International Journal of Cancer
Relationship between Sunbed Use and Melanoma Risk in a Large Case-Control Study in the United Kingdom
Faye Elliott1, Mariano Suppa1,2, May Chan1, Susan Leake1, Birute Karpavicius1, Sue Haynes1, Jennifer H Barrett1, D Timothy Bishop1 and Julia A Newton-Bishop1
1 Section of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine,
University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
2 Department of Dermatology, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy
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