Yesterday, we reported that many young individuals, especially women between the ages of 14 and 22, regularly participate in indoor tanning despite understanding the documented health risks.

As previously reported, indoor tanning can lead to as high as a 75% increase in the risk of developing melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer and a common subject of indoor tanning melanoma studies.

Today, we continue our indoor tanning exposé with additional information revealing that tanning bed use can increase your chances of developing early-onset BCC (basal cell carcinoma) by 69%. The findings come courtesy of a study conducted at New Haven, Connecticut’s Yale School of Public Health.

One of the study’s lead authors, Susan T. Mayne, described indoor tanning use as “strikingly common” among the young subjects in the study who had developed skin cancer. She added that approximately 70% of those who suffer from early-onset BCC are female, likely due to the fact that indoor tanning is far more prevalent among women than men.

Previous research conducted by the University of Minnesota found that indoor tanning use of any kind could increase a person’s risk of developing melanoma by 74%, but didn’t confirm a link between indoor tanning and basal cell carcinoma. This new research changes that.

The Nature of the Study

The Yale study examined the tanning habits of 750 individuals, all of whom were under the age of 40. The study accounted for several factors, including:

• The length of indoor tanning sessions

• The frequency of indoor tanning sessions

• The type of indoor tanning equipment used

• The age of the individual upon their first indoor tanning session

• Whether the individuals had experienced any acute burns as a result of indoor tanning

Overall, the researchers found that cancer risks increased commensurate with how long each individual had been tanning indoors. They also noted that roughly 33% of the subjects in the study had at least one case of BCC prior to the age of 40.

How Many People Utilize Indoor Tanning?

Roughly 30 million Americans regularly use indoor tanning equipment. Interestingly, tanning beds are considered medical devices in the United States, while they’re classified as human carcinogens by the World Health Organization. Regardless, many medical experts and doctors in the U.S. are lobbying for stiffer regulations regarding tanning bed use.

Melanoma and BCC: Prevalence and Deadliness

According to data from the American Cancer Society, melanoma prevalence has been increasing for the last 30 years. It’s the deadliest form of skin cancer despite accounting for just 5% of skin cancer cases annually. The ACS expects that just over 70,000 individuals will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2011.

Meanwhile, BCC cases are on the rise as well, though BCC is highly curable given early detection and treatment.

Leah M. Ferruci, another researcher responsible for the Yale indoor tanning study, said that a reduction in indoor tanning would likely lead to a direct decrease in the prevalence of both melanoma and basal cell carcinoma. She added that indoor tanning is one of the easiest human carcinogens to avoid since it only affects those who actively and intentionally participate in the activity.

Indoor Tanning Melanoma: The Bottom Line

As if it isn’t obvious already, the bottom line is that you shouldn’t use indoor tanning beds at all, unless suggested by a doctor as a means of treating conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or psoriasis.

Indoor tanning, especially when done on a regular basis, significantly increases your chances of developing basal cell carcinoma and melanoma, two forms of skin cancer. It’s simply not worth sacrificing your long-term health just to improve your current appearance.

The full text of the Yale study can be found in the December 12 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.