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In 2023, melanoma had an incidence of nearly 18,000 cases and caused more than 1900 deaths in France. Excessive sun exposure is the leading cause. As early as 2003, the French National Academy of Medicine warned about the role of indoor tanning beds. These devices emit ultraviolet A radiation (UVA), classified as “carcinogenic to humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. For the fifth time in 20 years, the Academy is warning about the danger these devices pose. It cites a study showing that 13.4% of people aged 15-75 years have used a tanning booth at least once in their lives, and 3.5% had used one in the year before the study — a third of whom had more than 10 sessions.
The new statement was prompted by recent work that sheds light on the links between melanoma and UVA produced by tanning beds:
- Users of tanning booths have a higher risk of developing multiple melanomas.
- They are also at increased risk of developing melanoma in areas of skin that are not, or only minimally, exposed to the sun.
- The DNA of their noncancerous melanocytes shows a greater number of pathogenic mutations than those of nonusers. This finding is particularly marked in melanocytes from skin areas that have little or no sun exposure.
Academy of Medicine recommendations:
- It urges health authorities to aim for a ban on the use of UV-emitting tanning devices, and, in the meantime, to reexamine their regulation.
- It formally discourages the use of UV tanning booths by people with a personal or family history of melanoma, those with many moles (nevi), or those with atypical‑nevus syndrome.
- It recommends strengthening public information, especially among young adults, about the melanoma risk linked to indoor tanning — particularly during skin cancer screening campaigns.
Finally, it recommends the establishment of updated epidemiologic monitoring of tanning‑bed users, noting that the most recent national data date back to 2010.
This story was translated from Univadis France, part of the Medscape Professional Network.
