LONDON (EGMN) – International health officials July 29 declared tanning beds a human carcinogen after reviewing epidemiologic studies that indicate an association with cutaneous melanomas.

A working group of the International Agency for Research on Cancer, writing in the Lancet Oncology, said they were raising the ultraviolet-emitting tanning devices (sunbeds) to their Group 1 list of carcinogens, joining tobacco and tobacco smoke, asbestos, and human papillomaviruses.

The working group said a meta-analysis of 20 epidemiologic studies has shown that use of tanning devices before age 30 raises the risk of cutaneous melanomas by 75%. In addition, case-control studies indicate an increased risk of ocular melanoma when using these devices. “Therefore, the Working Group raised the classification of the use of UV-emitting tanning devices to Group 1, “carcinogenic to humans,” the report said. (Lancet Oncology August 2009;10:751-2).

“The link between sunbeds and skin cancer has been convincingly shown in a number of scientific studies now and so we are very pleased that IARC have upgraded sunbeds to the highest risk category,” Jessica Harris, health information officer with Cancer Research UK, said in a written statement.

“Given the dangers of sunbeds, we want the government to act now to ban under 18s from using sunbeds, close salons that aren’t supervised by trained staff, and ensure information about the risks of using sunbeds is given to all customers,” she said.

On the basis of animal studies, IARC added exposure to ultraviolet radiation to the Group 1 list, and exposure to solar radiation was reaffirmed as carcinogenic, according to the authors.

The working group also reaffirmed as Group 1 carcinogenic agents internally deposited radionuclides that emit alpha or beta particles, such as radon. Humans can be exposed to radon through soil and building materials. Also in Group 1 are x-rays, gamma radiation, phosphorus-32, radium-224, and a number of other radioactive materials involved in medicine or manufacturing.

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 伦敦（EGMN）——根据一系列的回顾性流行病学研究，国际卫生机构官员于7月29日宣称日光浴床（tanning bed）是一类与皮肤黑色素瘤相关的人类致癌物。

国际癌症研究机构（IARC）的一个工作组在《柳叶刀·肿瘤学》（Lancet Oncology）上报道称，已将紫外光照晒黑设备（日光浴床）提升至与烟草、烟草烟雾、石棉和人类乳头状瘤病毒同属的1组人类致癌物。

 

研究人员对20项流行病学研究进行Meta分析发现，在30岁前使用日光浴床，皮肤黑色素瘤的罹患风险增加75%。此外，病例对照研究表明使用这些设备后罹患眼部黑色素瘤的风险增加。“因此，该工作组将紫外光照晒黑设备提升至1组人类致癌物。”该报告陈述道。（Lancet Oncology August 2009;10:751-2）。

 

 “目前，许多研究均已令人信服地证实了日光浴床和皮肤癌之间的关联，所以我们为IARC将日光浴床升至最高风险类别感到十分欣喜。” 英国癌症研究中心卫生信息官员Jessica Harris在一份书面声明中说道。

 

作者指出，根据动物研究结果，IARC将紫外线辐射暴露归到1组致癌物，并再次申明日光辐射是致癌物。

 

工作组还重申，内部蓄积发射α或β粒子的放射性核素如氡气也是1组致癌物，人体可经土壤和建筑材料中吸入氡气。1组致癌物还包括X射线和γ射线辐射、磷-32、镭-224以及其他一些在制造业或医疗行业涉及的放射性物质。

 

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