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Column: Lying about the sun
Using tanning beds is no way to protect oneself from breast cancer
Gargoyle photo by Will Fernandez (click to enlarge)This sign at the intersection of Lincoln and University prompted Will Fernandez to look into its claims about tanning beds.
Published: Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 4:35am
FOR ALL WHO were not aware, October was Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In fact, the Pink Ribbon month celebrated its 25th anniversary this year.
It is important for organizations to spread information about how to prevent this deadly cancer which, over the course of a lifetime, one in every eight women will be diagnosed with.
But while I was driving to school recently, I passed a billboard that not just fudged the facts, it gave an almost deadly advisement.
At the corner of Lincoln and University there is a sign that says, "Vitamin D from the Sun and Tanning Beds can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 75 percent," along with the Pink Ribbon symbol. The bottom of the sign gives a source where this fact supposedly came from.
But when I did further research into "Vitamin D for Cancer Prevention: Global Perspective" by Dr. Cedric F. Garland, I found no talk about tanning beds and no mention of Vitamin D reducing breast cancer by 75 percent.
On the contrary, a study headed up by the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research in Cancer found that women under the age of 30 who use tanning beds have a 75 percent chance increase of contracting melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Also, it has been found that women who have had breast cancer are more likely to contract skin cancer and vice versa.
Being a son of a mother who went through the fight with breast cancer this previous year, the sign hit me hard. Why would someone try to use the symbol of hope for so many women to promote one of the single worst things you can do to your body?
I might be wrong to guess this, but my gut tells me the person or organization who paid for these signs is in some way affiliated with tanning bed companies and is tricking today's youth into their artificial-light death chambers … but I digress.
It is important for all the young women at Uni to realize that their health is more important than having a nice tan and that there is no reason whatsoever to go to a tanning salon.
If you are not getting the necessary amount of Vitamin D in your blood system from your everyday interaction with the sun, it is a better idea to take Vitamin D supplements than submit onesself to a machine that can cause cancer.
Don't trade your life for some extra rays.
Comments
Agreement
I completely agree with this article. Seeing the sign everyday was shocking to me, especially since my mother had the disease. I find it interesting that there is no name of the individual or organization who funded the billboard listed.
Thanks!
Well done, Will. I, too, saw that billboard recently and was skeptical. Having lost my only sister to breast cancer, I am more than willing to tout any edge a woman can find against this killer, but the suggestion that tanning beds offer a sure defense rang false. I had not pursued my doubt yet, so I appreciate your doing it for me and warning the Uni community about this false advertising.
Vitamin D, not tanning beds
Nice article, it certainly seems like someone is twisting words here. But, I do want to point out that the 75% statistic seems to come from the paper.
Quote:
Cancer-free survival in 1,179 women, excluding first-year cases, after 4 years of follow-up, according to random allocation to placebo, calcium (1,450 mg calcium per day), or calcium and vitamin D3 (1,100 IU vitamin D3 and 1,450 mg calcium per day). Cancer-free survival was 77% higher in the calcium and vitamin D group than the placebo group. (Source: Redrawn from Lappe et al. [76].)
Summary: There are lies, dirty lies, and then there are statistics.
Thank you for your research
Thanks for the research, Will. We were just talking about this billboard at breakfast this morning and wondering what the source article could possibly say.
Great Article!
Thanks for the great column Will-I looked at the same sign and had the same reaction. While the sign is incredibly misleading and the sign was totally wrong, sunlight is really one of the few ways to get Vitamin D (another is that childhood favorite drink Sunny-D). But this whoel thing, both the sign and the article, reminded me of something used by a friend who had battled skin cancer: a special light which he used while excercising inddors. I was specifically designed to allow people who have or had skin cancer to get vitamin D but had special features to have no ill effects such as those caused by UV light. so there are things out there that may sort of appear as tanning beds, but are used for getting the good health benefits from the sun, not the skin tone benefits. but seriously Will, great column!
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