AACR II: Early Tanning Bed Use and Risk for Skin Cancer
Posted: Monday, June 29, 2020
Indoor tanning bed use and outdoor UV exposure during high school and/or college seem to increase the risk for basal cell carcinoma, according to a presentation during the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Virtual Annual Meeting II (Abstract 4651). However, no significant risks were revealed for squamous cell carcinoma or melanoma, according to Jongeun Rhee, PhD, of the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, and colleagues.
A total of 116,430 registered female nurses with melanoma, basal cell carcinoma, or squamous cell carcinoma were enrolled in the study. All subjects were recruited from the Nurses’ Health Study II and were between the ages of 25 and 42. Subject data on indoor tanning bed use during high school/college or from age 25 to 35 were gathered.
The investigators reported a significant interaction between indoor tanning bed use during high school and/or college and cumulative average UV exposure during follow-up for the risk of basal cell carcinoma (P = .01). However, this same trend was not observed for patients who used tanning beds from age 25 to 35. In addition, subjects who had increased UV exposure and used tanning beds during high school and/or college (relative risk = 1.54) or from age 25 to 35 (relative risk = 1.56) were 50% more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma than were subjects who did not use tanning beds.
Increased risks for developing squamous cell carcinoma were found in this patient population but were not statistically significant. Furthermore, no interactions were revealed for the risk of melanoma.
Disclosure: The study authors reported no conflicts of interest.
