Prevent Cancer Foundation Blog

Is your family gearing up for a season of sun, surf and sand? Before hitting the beach this summer it's important to remember that protecting your skin from the sun is vital to reducing your risk of skin cancer, the most common cancer diagnosis and also the most preventable cancer. To spotlight National Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month we separate the sun safety facts from the most commonly heard myths to keep you, your ...

Governments around the world are banning the use of tanning beds for those younger than 18 in a move to protect children and young adults from skin cancer. Growing evidence shows indoor tanning is a direct risk for melanoma skin cancer cases and deaths, with a higher risk for people who use tanning beds under the age of 25. California, Vermont and 22 European countries prohibit teens from using tanning beds. Countries such as Brazil ...

Medical experts have long claimed that redheads were at a greater risk for skin cancer than other skin types. Their fair skin is thought to provide less natural protection against UV rays from the sun. A recent study with mice shows that redheads may be at risk for melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, even when covered up from the sun. While studying two groups of mice with different pigment-producing genes – one with ...

A study conducted at UC San Francisco discovered indoor tanning is responsible each year for over 170,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer, the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the U.S. Findings also indicated that tanning bed users were more likely to develop certain types of skin cancers than non-users, with the highest risk among young adults. Though local and national government efforts have recently attempted to regulate indoor tanning by implementing a tanning tax or banning ...