Overview
- An adjusted epidemiologic analysis linked tanning‑bed use to a 2.85‑fold higher risk of melanoma compared with matched non‑users.
- Researchers detected melanoma‑linked DNA mutations across large areas of users’ skin, including lower back and other sites seldom exposed to sunlight.
- People in their 30s and 40s who tanned indoors had greater mutation burdens than typical 70–80‑year‑olds, indicating decades‑early genetic aging.
- The multimodal study matched roughly 3,000 users to 3,000 controls and sequenced 182 melanocytes from 26 donors to document the mutational footprint.
- Study authors urge avoiding artificial UV exposure, noting WHO’s Group 1 carcinogen designation, and some researchers advocate youth restrictions and cigarette‑style warnings.