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Melanoma risk increased after more than 10 tanning sessions

The risk for developing melanoma became more pronounced and was 34% greater after more than 10 tanning bed sessions compared with no sessions, according to recent study results.

Researchers conducted a literature search of Scopus (from 1996), Medline (from 1946) and Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (from 1937) through Aug. 14, 2013. All observational studies of patients with melanoma who had tanned indoors were included. Search terms included sunbed, sunbathing, indoor tanning, tanning bed, tanning parlor, solarium, sun lamp, artificial ultraviolet and artificial light.

Thirty-one studies involving 14,956 melanoma cases and 233,106 controls were included in the meta-analysis. Participants who ever used a tanning bed had an OR for developing melanoma of 1.16 (95% CI, 1.05-1.28) when compared with melanoma associated with never users. In studies with enrollment beginning in 2000, OR was 1.22 for tanning bed users developing melanoma (95% CI, 1.03-1.45). In North American studies, those who had ever used indoor tanning had a 23% increased risk for melanoma development (OR=1.23; 95% CI, 1.03-1.47).

People who had more than 10 indoor tanning sessions had an OR of 1.34 for developing melanoma (95% CI, 1.05-1.71), while those who had a lifetime exposure of one to 10 session showed an OR of 1.07 (95% CI, 0.9-1.26), both compared with never users.

“Using tanning beds is associated with a subsequent melanoma diagnosis,” the researchers concluded. “Exposure from more than 10 tanning sessions is most strongly associated and there was no statistically significant difference in this association before and after 2000, suggesting that new tanning technology is not safer than the older models.”

Disclosure: The researchers reported no relevant financial disclosures.