Just How Deadly is Skin Cancer?

Millions of people around the country put themselves at higher risk for contracting skin cancer each year by frequently using tanning beds. So just how deadly is skin cancer?

While a cancer diagnosis can be a frightening ordeal in its own right, even those who survive can find themselves facing high medical costs and elevated life insurance premiums.

From a life insurance perspective, companies see those who have survived cancer as a higher risk because of the chance that the disease could return at some point.

One of the most common – and dangerous – forms of cancer is skin cancer. According to the Food and Drug Administration, tanning beds use both UV-B and UV-A rays. The UV-B rays are most responsible for sunburns, while UV-A rays penetrate deeper into the skin and can be associated with allergic reactions.

“Although some people think that a tan gives them a ‘healthy’ glow, any tan is a sign of skin damage,” FDA scientist Sharon Miller said.

The FDA also warns that people who had severe sunburns at a young age are also at higher risk to come down with melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer. Another warning from the government agency states that those who used tanning beds before age 35 have a 75 percent higher risk for melanoma.

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