Researchers Say Skin Cancer has Nearly Doubled Since 1994
The L.A. Times Booster Shots blog reports that a research paper in the Archives of Dermatology says there is an "epidemic of [non-melanoma skin cancer] in the United States." The Archives of Dermatology research also estimates that the incidence of skin cancer is nearly double what it was in 1994. The Archives of Dermatology estimated that in 2006, 2.1 million Americans were treated for 3.5 million cases of non-melanoma cancer.
Basically, more Americans are getting treated for skin cancer and more people are getting multiple skin cancers. In 2004, $1.5 billion was spent curing this type of cancer. You can read an abstract from the article here.
Despite the clear link between tanning beds and skin cancer there are still lots of teenager using tanning beds. A recent study found that tanning salons are as common as McDonald's in some towns.
