The Skin Cancer Foundation

Connect To Us On:

Bookmark Us On:

Watch Us On:

Can You Help Us?

PublicSpeaker On March 25, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will meet to discuss the reclassification of tanning beds and lamps.

Currently, tanning machines are Class I Medical Devices, in the same category as elastic bandages and tongue depressors. But according to the US Department of Health and Human Services, UV radiation from either the sun or tanning machines is a proven human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent) and considerable research shows it is the chief cause of skin cancer. Reclassification to Class II or III would permit stricter regulations and more oversight.

Join the fight for reclassification by submitting written testimony about your experience with these dangerous devices. Here’s how:

Click the link http://www.regulations.gov, and enter FDA-2009-N-0606 in the box under Enter Keyword or ID. Then hit Search.
A new screen should appear. Scroll down, and click on the arrow that will take you to the last page.
On the bottom of the last page, you should see The General and Plastic Surgery Devices Panel of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee; Amendment of Notice under Title. This is the document you want to respond to. On the right side of the screen, click Submit Comment.

Your testimony has the potential to help save lives. Please submit your comments by March 19.

Stay Sun-Safe This Spring Break

SpringBreak_200 If you’re headed to the beach in the next few weeks, take care: Spring break may be hazardous to your health. Soaking up the sun on beach vacations can increase the risk of skin cancers, since ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and tanning beds is a proven human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent).

We Did it Again!

GoldTriangleAwards Recently, The Skin Cancer Foundation was honored — again — for its efforts to educate the public about skin cancer. In fact, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) presented us with no fewer than five Gold Triangle Awards at its annual Miami meeting on Friday, March 5. This sets a record for the number of wins at one time in the Health Community Organization category.

Our honorees include the quarterly consumer newsletter Sun & Skin News; the PSA print ad campaign Go With Your Own Glow; our children’s educational program, The Sunsational Guide to Smart Sun Safety: Fun in the Sun 101; the Road to Healthy Skin Tour, presented by Aveeno^® and Rite Aid, and our brochures Skin Cancer: If You Spot it, You Can Stop it and Understanding UVA and UVB. This brings our total number of Gold Triangles to 14.

Tanning Intervention With the Cast of "Jersey Shore"!

Sarnoff_JerseyShore_160w "Jersey Shore"'s Snooki announced that "she does not want to die from skin cancer" on Wednesday’s edition of "Extra". The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Senior Vice President, Dr. Deborah S. Sarnoff, sat down with the cast of MTV’s hit show to discuss the dangers of tanning in an effort to put an end to their favorite motto "GTL", which stands for Gym, Tanning, Laundry. The intervention was successful and the "Jersey Shore" roommates plan to make the switch to spray tanning. Watch the entire segment and find out the results of Mike "The Situation's" skin exam, click here.

Sign Our Petition Against Tanning Beds

advocacy_writingletter In July, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) added ultraviolet (UV) radiation from tanning machines to its list of the most dangerous cancer-causing radiation — a list that includes the radioactive element plutonium. Unfortunately, the health threat tanning machines pose is not reflected by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s classification of these devices. But you can join our campaign to help change this.

Click here to sign our petition to the FDA today!

Researchers Confirm: Melanoma Linked to UV Exposure

microscope Scientists have analyzed the genome (complete genetic information) for melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Scientists at The Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, in Hinxton, England, have mapped the genetic material that makes up melanoma, and identified thousands of mutations, changes or errors that occur in genes due to radiation, viruses, and other causes. These mutations, which increase the risk of cancer, can be caused by damage to the skin cells’ DNA by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. According to the Sanger Institute, “The melanoma genome contains more than 33,000 mutations, many of which bear the imprint of the most common cause of melanoma — exposure to ultraviolet light.” Not all mutations cause cancer, however, so the scientists will next try to determine exactly which of the mutations play a role in the development of melanoma. Scientists hope that they will eventually be able to develop new cancer treatments by targeting specific mutated genes.

Learn about the Wellcome Trust’s melanoma research.

FDA Debates Tougher Cancer Warning on Tanning Beds

By LAURAN NEERGAARD

AP Medical Writer

Katie Donnar WASHINGTON (AP) - Just as millions head to tanning beds to prepare for spring break, the Food and Drug Administration will be debating how to toughen warnings that those sunlamps pose a cancer risk.

Yes, sunburns are particularly dangerous. But there's increasing scientific consensus that there's no such thing as a safe tan, either.

This is a message that Katie Donnar, 18, dismissed until a year ago when, preparing for the Miss Indiana pageant, she discovered a growth on her leg _ an early-stage melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer.

She can't prove tanning beds are to blame, but started using them as a sixth-grade cheerleader, says she stepped under the bulbs about every other day during parts of high school, and at one point even owned one. No more.