Aangepaste wetgeving na dood door
zonnebankgebruik in Australië
De Australische overheid wil eind van dit
jaar een verbod op zonnebanken voor jongeren onder de 16 jaar. De lokale kankerstichting
zou dit het liefst verhoogd zien naar 18 jaar. De reden van dit alles is de dood van de
anti-solarium strijdster Clare Oliver die na een strijd van 4 jaar tegen huidkanker helaas
is overleden. De lokale industrie is niet in staat gebleken dit zelf te reguleren en de
Australische oppositie ziet de nieuwe wetgeving liefst per direkt ingaan.
Clare Oliver loved and embraced life. She
was just 26 when she lost her battle with cancer, on 13 September 2007. Three years ago,
she noticed a strange lump under her arm that was diagnosed as a Melanoma. This lump was
cut out and her cancer scare made her even more determined to get on with her life. Clare
travelled to Europe and went on to complete her second university degree. But cancer came
back and Clare took on the fight for her life. She reflected on the ‘why’ and
made a connection with her use of solariums and sun exposure and her Melanoma. Clare was
searching for perceived ideals of beauty and thought that a golden tan was necessary to
attain that ideal. She, like so many other young people, used solariums in the belief that
this was something akin to good health.
Clare became aware of the dangers of
solarium use. She used her remaining time and energy to make certain that the rest of
Australia heard and responded to that message. Skin protection from the sun and from rays
is the message she shouted loud and clear. Melanoma awareness is the legacy Clare wanted
to leave behind.
Het aantal gevallen van huidkanker neemt
weer fors toe. Uit Scandinavisch onderzoek blijkt dat vrouwen die regelmatig onder de
zonnebank gaan, veel meer kans hebben om huidkanker te krijgen.
De zonnebank: ongevaarlijk of toch niet
helemaal? 'Een zonnebank geeft voornamelijk UVA-stralen vrij, terwijl het de UVB-stralen
zijn waarvan we verbranden', zegt prof. dr. Julien Lambert. 'Lange tijd werd daarom
verondersteld dat de zonnebank volledig onschadelijk is. Maar intussen weten we dat de
UVA-stralen mee bijdragen tot het ontstaan van huidkanker. Als je dan bedenkt dat het
vooral fanatieke zonnekloppers zijn die naar de zonnebank gaan, is het toch oppassen
geblazen.' Lambert raadt aan zich te beperken tot maximaal tien sessies per jaar. Mensen
die van nature niet of nauwelijks bruin worden of andere risicofactoren hebben, zouden er
beter helemaal geen gebruik van maken. Want zij lopen sowieso al meer gevaar op
huidkanker.
The tanning industry relies on two
misleading arguments: first, that since melanoma is mainly caused by sunburn,
"controlled" tanning helps prevent melanoma by building up the protective
pigment melanin; second, that UV exposure makes the skin produce vitamin D, which helps
prevent breast, prostate and colon cancer, as well as other diseases. Medical experts
refute these arguments.
The association of use of sunbeds
with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancers: A systematic review.
The summary relative risk of 3 studies of
squamous cell carcinoma showed an increased risk. For basal cell carcinoma, the studies
did not support an association. The evidence does not support a protective effect of the
use of sunbeds against damage to the skin from subsequent sun exposure. Young adults
should be discouraged from using indoor tanning equipment and restricted access to sunbeds
by minors should be strongly considered.
Cutaneous malignant melanoma: facts
about sunbeds and sunscreen
Over the last 20 years, tan acquisition
through exposure to artificial sources of ultraviolet radiation has become frequent among
fair-skinned adolescents and young adults. There is accumulating evidence that sunbed use
is associated with melanoma when started before approximately 30 years of age.
Perspectives in melanoma
prevention: the case of sunbeds.
We stress the need for the control of
information disseminated by the "tanning industry" on suppositions that sunbed
use is safer than sun exposure, and on the hypothetical health benefits of tanning. New
fluorescent UV lamps are proposed that have a spectrum similar to the midday sun. Given
the known association between intermittent sun exposure and melanoma, public-health
authorities should reconsider the soundness of the commercialisation of these lamps.
Quantitative risk assessment of
sunbeds: impact of new high power lamps
Sunbeds in current use carry a cancer risk
comparable to Mediterranean sunlight. This is due to the use of new high power lamps. New
British and European standards are being largely ignored with more than four out of five
sunbeds exceeding the limit specified in the standard. There is a strong case for
regulation of sunbed operators coupled to improved public education.
Dermatologists have long suspected that
some people may be addicted to tanning – similar to addictions to drugs or alcohol
– and refuse to alter their behaviors, even knowing they have an increased risk of
developing skin cancer.
Study Links Use of Tanning Lamps to
Increased Risk of Skin Cancer
Participants who reported any use of
tanning devices, they found, were 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma
and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma than those who didn't.
The researchers found that artificial
tanning increased the risk for SCC (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.7-3.8) and BCC (OR, 1.5;
95% CI, 1.1-2.1). Women younger than 50 with sensitive phenotypes appear to be at
particularly high risk.
