Doctors group wants to ban tanning beds for minors
Doctors group MedChi will push for state legislation during next year's General Assembly session to prohibit the use of tanning devices by minors under the age of 18.
“The legislation will protect youth from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer," MedChi CEO Gene Ransom said in a statement.
The group said that millions of adolescents use indoor tanning facilities and nearly 25 percent of indoor tanning users ranged in age 13 to 19 years-old.
Researchers have linked the use of tanning devices early in life to an increased risk of the three most common skin cancers.
A large study from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston revealed that when compared with nonusers of tanning beds, the risk for basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma increased by 15 percent for every 4 visits made to a tanning salon per year, and the risk for melanoma increased by 11 percent.
A review of many studies estimates an overall 75 percent increased risk of developing melanoma associated with tanning bed use started before age 35, Medchi said.
Howard County passed local legislation prohibiting the use of tanning devices by minors under the age of 18 a number of years ago.
The United States also lags behind a number of other countries in Europe, by prohibiting use of tanning devices by minors, Medchi said.






Two-thirds of Maryland voters support increasing the state’s tobacco tax, according to a new poll from the

When E! News anchor Giuliana Rancic announced she discovered she had breast cancer during her IVF treatments, many women also going through such treatment likely wondered if they were at greater risk of the disease. Experts seem to agree that generally the answer is no.
Sales of tobacco to minors has hit an all time low, according to a
Stem cells from newborns’ umbilical cords and placenta are normally tossed, but some Johns Hopkins students have come up with a new system that could significantly increase collections. 
As if we didn't get enough warnings this week of the hazards of smoking -- a new study links it to increased risk of breast cancer.
Today is the
It's Breast Cancer Awareness Month and everything seems to be pink, from yogurt containers to
A couple of years ago, a coworker of mine, Stephanie Desmon, wrote a series about women with breast cancer who volunteered to receive a vaccine as part of a clinical trial. Sue Marangi was one of them.
A Toronto woman who told friends that she had terminal cancer and then set up a fake charity has been exposed as a fake, according to the
Wearing sunblock and drinking plenty of fluids are well known defenses against the harmful effects of the sun.
We're all getting conditioned to go online to 
Local governments have banned minors from using them and even the FDA is considering taking that step, but tanning beds remain popular. New research, however, suggests that indoor tanning might be riskier than previously thought.
The results of the world's biggest study on
We hear a lot about pricey new cancer drugs driving up the cost of treating the disease, but a new study suggests meds aren't the sole reason for soaring treatment costs.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has been
Skin cancer diagnoses are on the rise and the disease affects more people than all other cancers combined, according to two new studies that aim to sound the alarm on what experts are calling an epidemic.
A government panel's recommendation last fall that 
Good news for men who enjoy a cup -- or more -- of coffee in the morning: avid coffee drinkers may lower their risk of developing prostate cancer, new research suggests.
A government panel's new recommendation that women start mammograms at age 50, not 40, is has sparked angst, confusion, and even anger -- among
Breast cancer patients often struggle with persistent pain long after their treatments are completed, according to new research published in the latest
Last week, we discussed the
We've had this conversation a lot here at Picture of Health when it comes to breast and prostate cancer: to screen or not to screen?
Studies have found many benefits to babies who are breastfed. But what about to their mothers? New research finds that women with a family history of breast cancer had a lower risk of developing the disease themselves if they breastfed.
My story yesterday on the 

