Many young women stay tan all year, but increase cancer risk

ATLANTA, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- Summer may be over, but tans are still common because of indoor tanning booths, a U.S. researcher says.

Gery Guy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta analyzed national survey data on indoor tanning among females. Guy said he was surprised by how common tanning is among young U.S. women.

"Nearly 1-in-3 non-Hispanic white teens engaged in indoor tanning during the year," Guy said in a statement. "And among young non-Hispanic white female adults between the ages of 18-34, 1-in-4 reported indoor tanning."

The study, published in the journal JAMA's Internal Medicine, found more than half used indoor tanning 10 or more times a year.

The researcher said tanning, including indoor, raises the risk of skin cancer -- notably melanoma -- which can be fatal if not detected and treated quite early. He said melanoma rates have been going up among these women.