Risk higher than fourfold with some devices; FDA currently considering a ban on indoor tanning beds among teens

Use of indoor tanning beds increases risk of melanoma between twofold and fourfold depending on the device and length of time indoor tanning is used, according to a report in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

In the largest study of its kind on this issue, researchers found that among 1,167 melanoma cases and 1,101 healthy controls, those who had tanned indoors had a 74 percent increased risk of melanoma. If the devices emitted primarily UVA radiation, the risk was 4.4-fold.

Risk increased along with greater years of use, number of sessions or total hours of use.

The Food and Drug Administration is currently considering a ban on indoor tanning beds among teenagers. Results from this study suggest the greater risk of melanoma observed among teenagers is more likely due to increased years of tanning rather than biology. Currently, indoor tanning use is much more common among teenage girls and young women than boys or men.