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WEDNESDAY, July 23, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- An increase in skin cancer cases has experts pointing the finger of blame at tanning beds.
That's because the biggest reported increase comes from skin cancer on parts of the body normally covered by clothing, according to a new analysis of data from the Swedish Cancer Registry.
Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden examined information on more than 51,000 people diagnosed with skin cancer from 1961 to 1998. The data showed that squamous cell carcinoma, one type of skin cancer, has become the most rapidly increasing type of cancer in Sweden in the past 20 years.
Noninvasive types of skin cancer increased "drastically," the researchers say, especially on areas of the body normally protected from the sun by clothing. Their report, which appears in the July issue of The Archives of Dermatology, suggests the increase is attributable to "intentional tanning."
More information
Here's where you can learn more about skin cancer.
