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On March 25, 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will meet to discuss the possible reclassification of UV-emitting tanning beds and lamps. Currently, tanning beds and lamps are Class I medical devices, putting them in the same category as elastic bandages and tongue depressors. But UV radiation from tanning machines is a proven human carcinogen (cancer-causing agent), and the chief cause of skin cancer. Reclassification by the FDA would permit more oversight and stringent regulation. Please join us in the fight against skin cancer by signing our citizen’s petition in support of reclassification today. |
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Petition to The Food and Drug Administration
Margaret Hamburg, MD Dear Dr. Hamburg: The Skin Cancer Foundation and all our constituents who have signed this letter strongly believe that tanning beds need stricter regulations. We are delighted that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has scheduled a meeting of the Medical Devices Advisory Committee to review the current classification of tanning beds. Tanning beds pose well-established health risks to the
American public. On an average day, more than one million people in the US use
tanning salons.1 Seventy-one percent of tanning salon patrons
are girls and women aged 16-29. 2
Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for young adults
15-29 years old, 3 and women under the age of 39 are twice
as likely to develop melanoma as men. 4 The incidence of many
common cancers is falling, but the incidence of melanoma continues to rise
significantly, at a rate faster than that of any of the seven most common
cancers.5 As you are aware, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a working group of the World Health Organization (WHO), recently added tanning beds to its “Group One” list, meaning tanning beds are considered a dangerous carcinogen for humans. The IARC made this designation based on consistent evidence linking UV radiation from indoor tanning devices to all major forms of skin cancer, including melanomas of both the skin and eyes. A comprehensive meta-analysis concluded that the risk of cutaneous melanoma is increased by 75 percent when use of tanning devices starts before 30 years of age.6 In addition to the risk of melanoma, people who use tanning beds are 2.5 times more likely to develop squamous cell carcinoma and 1.5 times more likely to develop basal cell carcinoma. More than 2500 people die from squamous cell carcinoma each year. 7 With more than one million skin cancers diagnosed annually, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in US.8 The FDA currently regulates “ultraviolet lamps for tanning” and “sunlamps,” referred to as tanning beds, as class I medical devices, the same as tongue depressors and elastic bandages. This level of classification indicates that tanning beds subject “minimal potential harm for the user,” 9 as stated by the FDA, which we know unequivocally to be false. This classification fails to alert the American public about the true health risk of tanning beds and is irresponsible on the part of the FDA, especially in light of the recent FDA article, “Indoor Tanning: The Risks of Ultraviolet Rays.” As stated in the article, “since lamps used in tanning beds emit UV radiation, the use of indoor tanning devices also increases your risk of skin cancer.” Tanning beds need to stricter regulations to accurately reflect the level of risk they present. We sincerely hope that this will be the recommendation made by the committee on March 25 and that the FDA will act swiftly, as lives are at stake. One person dies of melanoma in this country almost every hour. 10 Since 1979, The Skin Cancer Foundation has set the standard for educating the public and the medical profession about skin cancer, its prevention by means of sun protection, the need for early detection and prompt, effective treatment. We know that stricter tanning bed regulations are essential to help eradicate this highly preventable form of cancer, which is now occurring at epidemic levels. Thank you for your attention to this important public health issue. Signed, |
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References 1. Spencer JM, Amonette RA. Indoor tanning: Risks, benefits, and future trends. J AM Acad Dermatol 1995; 33:288-98. 2. Swerdlow AJ, Weinstock MA. Do tanning lamps cause melanoma? An epidemiologic assessment. J Am Acad Dermatol 1998; 38:89-98. 3. Cancer Epidemiology in Older Adolescents & Young Adults. SEER AYA Monograph Pages 53-63. 2007. 4. Ahmedin Jemal, Rebecca Siegel, Elizabeth Ward, Taylor Murray, Youngping Hao, Jiaquan Xu, and Michael J. Thun. Cancer Statistics, 2008. CA Cancer J Clin 2008 58: 76. 5. SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2005 (NCI) 6. The International Agency for Research on Cancer Working Group on artificial ultraviolet (UV) light and skin cancer. The association of use of sunbeds with cutaneous malignant melanoma and other skin cancers: A systematic review. International Journal of Cancer 2006; 120:1116-1122. 7. Karagas MR, Stannard VA, Mott LA, Slattery MJ, Spencer SK, and Weinstock MA. Use of Tanning Devices and Risk of Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Skin Cancers. J. Natl. Cancer Inst. 2002 94: 224; doi:10.1093/jnci/94.3.224 8. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009. 9. Learn if a Medical Device Has Been Cleared by FDA for Marketing, http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ResourcesforYou/Consumers/ucm142523.htm 10. American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts & Figures 2009. Atlanta: American Cancer Society; 2009 |
