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Restriction of indoor tanning among minors would reduce melanoma rates, treatment costs

Restriction of indoor tanning among minors younger than 18 years has the potential to significantly reduce melanoma incidence, mortality and treatment costs, according to study results published in Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Estimations were based on the current cohort of 61.2 million individuals aged 14 years or younger in the United States. The probability of these individuals using indoor tanning was based on data among individuals aged 15 through 18 years from the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey and prevalence was based on a recent meta-analysis.

Prohibiting the use of indoor tanning among minors younger than 18 years was estimated to avert 61,839 melanoma cases (4.9% reduction) and 6,735 melanoma deaths (4.7% reduction) over the lifetime of the cohort individuals. The treatment cost-savings from these reductions was estimated to be more than $342 million.

Additional reduction of indoor tanning prevalence continued to increase the estimated health benefits and treatment cost-savings. Total reduction from 20% to 100% increased the number of melanoma cases averted from 40,410 to 202,662, the number of deaths averted from 4,286 to 23,266, and the treatment cost-savings from $219 million to $1.1 billion over lifetime of the cohort individuals.

“Because the benefits increase as the prevalence of indoor tanning decreases, further efforts to reduce indoor tanning might be effective in reducing the burden of melanoma in the United States,” the researchers wrote. “These findings help quantify and underscore the potential benefits of reducing indoor tanning and of continued public health efforts to identify and implement effective strategies to prevent melanoma.” – by Talitha Bennett

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.