![Skin Cancer Cases on the Rise Skin Cancer Cases on the Rise](https://www.medindia.net/afp/images/US-health-cancer-3441.jpg)
Researchers also found mortality rates from the disease have improved over the years, likely due to early detection of skin cancer and prompt medical care.
"People are now more aware of their skin and of the need to see a doctor when they see changes," Dr. Brewer says. "As a result, many cases may be caught before the cancer advances to a deep melanoma, which is harder to treat."
The researchers speculate that the use of indoor tanning beds is a key culprit in the rising cancer rate in young women.
"A recent study reported that people who use indoor tanning beds frequently are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma, and we know young women are more likely to use them than young men," Dr. Brewer says. Despite abundant information about the dangers of tanning beds, he adds, young women continue to use them. "The results of this study emphasize the importance of active interventions to decrease risk factors for skin cancer and, in particular, to continue to alert young women that indoor tanning has carcinogenic effects that increase the risk of melanoma."
Janey Helland, of Mapleton, Minn., didn''t think twice when tanning in high school and college.
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Two years later, she is cancer-free and dedicated to educating others. "I would advocate that it''s better to be safe than sorry," she says. "My advice is to educate yourself and research the risk factors."
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The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health. Other authors include
Kurtis Reed, M.D., Christine Lohse, Kariline Bringe, Crystal Pruitt, and Lawrence Gibson, M.D. all of Mayo Clinic.
Source-Newswise