THE owner of a Moorside tanning salon has defended her decision to use a street billboard which says ‘top skin cancer doctor advises sunbed sessions’.
Amanda McCrirrick, who has run Caribbean Corner on Ripponden Road, for eight years, says the sign stems from claims made by medical oncologist Professor Tim Oliver who says Vitamin D – produced in sunlight – could protect us from cancer.
She said: "In my opinion it’s not the use of sunbeds but the misuse of them which could potentially increase the risk of skin cancer.
"By using a sunbed the damaging UVC rays are filtered out and UVB rays – which are converted into vitamin D can be taken in in a controlled environment."
But Oldham’s skin cancer charity Factor 50 says the vitamin D argument is nonsense. Gill Nuttall, who set up the organisation after the death of a close friend, said: "We each get enough Vitamin D from natural sunlight and in any event we only need 20 minutes exposure a day.
"Skin cancer is one of the most common cancers among teenagers and young people, and the number of people developing it is growing.
"As well as the social pressure of getting a tan, many of us still don’t know how serious the consequences of overexposure to strong sunlight actually are. There is clear evidence that sunbed use is associated with skin cancers and in particular malignant melanoma.
"There are so many good false tanning products on the market now, that there is no need for anyone to use sunbeds. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a safe tan."
Alan Higgins, director of public health at NHS Oldham, added that there are numerous health risks associated with using ultraviolet tanning equipment.
But Amanda added: "The sign is not there to ply for business, it’s there to encourage people to do their own research and make an informed choice.
"There’s not enough people being informed of the benefits of sunbeds. There’s a lot of fear factor being pushed out there."
Despite the controversy, Joanne refutes any claims that the sign could influence young people.
She said: "I pride myself on running a very tight ship. We only allow over 18s on the sunbeds."
Showing comments 1 to 11 and replies | View All
Mike N, Oldham (30/09/2009 at 22:27)
If a public house advertises its happy hour, or a restaurant advertises a two for one offer or a newsagent has a board outside their shop - they are doing this to increase sales. If you are going to advertise your product, do it honestly and admit that you are in business to make a profit. If you do that at the risk of the health of others then so be it, but at least be truthful about it.
tracy williams (01/10/2009 at 09:59)
renard (01/10/2009 at 12:24)
UVC does not reach the ground so you don't get exposed to it on the beach.
Sun bed lamps in the UK are tuned to give low doses of hard UVB (because of pressure from safety lobbies). As it is only the hard UVB that makes vitamin d then the amount produced is fairly small. Having said that if you raise your vitamin d levels before using them you will get a very good tan and the vitamin d with protect you from melanoma. A supplement levels of about 5,000IU of D3 a day, will give near optimum d levels, and the sun lamps and your tan will fine tune to your optimum level.
Cheryl T (01/10/2009 at 19:37)
Show me the medical studies that prove that, i'd love to read them.
Comare which is the committee on medical aspects of radiation in the environment ( as i'm sure you are aware as you do your research) recently published a 90 page study entitled "the health effects and risk arising from the exposure to ultraviolet radiation from artificial tanning devices.
It's brief was ‘to assess and advise Government and the devolved authorities on
the health effects of natural and man-made radiation and to assess the
adequacy of the available data and the need for further research’
In relation to Vitamin D and sunbed use it concluded For the general public using commercial outlets, there are perceived
beneficial health effects from exposure to UV radiation, which are largely
psychological and cosmetic. There is little value in the use of sunbeds in terms
of protection from sunburn. Vitamin D synthesis is promoted by some outlets
as justification for the use of sunbeds, yet vitamin D can be nutritionally
supplied without the risks associated with exposure to artificial UV radiation.
The usefulness of sunbeds in the induction of vitamin D synthesis is dependent
on the level of UVB emissions; however, UVA is usually the predominant
emission from sunbeds. There is evidence that although use of sunbeds can
increase vitamin D levels, this reaches a plateau after a few sessions (Thieden
et al, 2008). Given that there are wholly safe alternatives, the benefit of sunbed
use as a source of vitamin D is outweighed by the risks.
Samantha Harrison (02/10/2009 at 10:15)
I am sure the Mail will be very interested in these guys taking the intellectual property in their logo and using it as a way of advertising... oops sorry, I meant to say "encouraging research".
Watch someone die of skin cancer and then tell me sunbeds are ok.
renard (02/10/2009 at 18:03)
try Serum 25-Hydroxyvitamin D3 Levels Are Associated With Breslow Thickness at Presentation and Survival From Melanoma, Julia A. Newton-Bishop, Samantha Beswick, Juliette Randerson-Moor, Yu-Mei Chang, Paul Affleck, Faye Elliott, May Chan, Susan Leake, Birute Karpavicius, Sue Haynes, Kairen Kukalizch, Linda Whitaker, Sharon Jackson, Edwina Gerry, Clarissa Nolan, Chandra Bertram, Jerry Marsden, David E. Elder, Jennifer H. Barrett, and D. Timothy Bishop, Journal of Clinical Oncology, 10.1200/JCO.2009.22.1135
There are plenty more scientific publications that show sun exposure protects against melanoma (it is sun burn, that is associated with melanoma).
renard (02/10/2009 at 19:48)
Also try
Sunlight and Reduced Risk of Cancer: Is The Real Story Vitamin D?
http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/extract/97/3/161
Vitamin D deficiency
MF Holick - The New England journal of medicine, 2007
Occupational sunlight exposure and melanoma in the US Navy. FC Garland, MR White, CF Garland, E Shaw, … - Archives of environmental health, 1990
there are others
renard (03/10/2009 at 09:38)
Cheryl T (04/10/2009 at 07:45)
Your first link does not support the fact that Vitamin D "prevents" Melanoma it states that it "may protect" relapse in patients who are already sufferers, an altogether different thing. Again these are preliminary studies that require far more control subjects than have been currently used.
Your other links.....
first one on your second comment doesn't work.
third one within the results summary states "Identifying an independent influence of vitamin D on melanoma risk is hampered by overwhelming confounding of the carcinogenic influence of ultra violet radiation on skin melanocytes"
That wouldn't be suggesting that UV (the same UV present in sunbeds) is potentially cancer causing would it.......
Lastly i'd like to come to Dr Michael Holick as you mention him here's an interview with him from the New York Times. If you go to page 2 he actually states "i'm not advocating tanning" i'll put that in big letters for avoidance of doubt I'M NOT ADVOCATING TANNING.
In August this year the International Agency for Research on Cancer which is the cancer arm of the World Health Organisation published an analysis of 20 different studies which point to the fact that sunbeds cause cancer. "Claims are that tanning beds are UVA light, and that doesn't cause a problem, but the report puts that theory to rest," said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, who read the findings. "It doesn't matter if it's UVA or UVB."
Lichtenfeld emphasized that the study says there is no safe use of tanning beds. "This study says UV causes skin cancer," Lichtenfeld said. "It's a Class One carcinogen. This causes cancer. Period. End of statement," he said.
Cheryl T (04/10/2009 at 07:50)
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/28/health/conversation-with-michael-holick-shining-light-health-benefits-vitamin-d.html
renard (07/10/2009 at 17:23)
I have checked and unlike in America, UK sun lamps are almost exclusively UVA and Soft UVB. So unlike USA lamps and the sun lamp I provide for my reptiles (under advice from the vet), they will not make Vitamin D and so they are a waste of time. I wonder who was the clever person who ordered that the only part of the UV spectrum that does some good to be removed from sun beds, and the most dangerous deep penetrating rays left.
However, I would argue that something that reduces the risk of relapse almost certainly reduces the risk of the disease in the first place.
Also as vitamin d reduces the risk of about 6 different internal cancers (some by up to 70%) it probably reduces the risk of melanoma, if only by stopping the skin fading in a vain attempt to produce enough vitamin d.
Those who take significant amounts of vitamin d as supplements do not fade in the winter and are therefore less likely to accidentally burn. This also means that a person who wants a moderate tan can have one at minimum risk as they will only have to go to the tanning salon/go out in the sun once a month rather than two times a week.