title: Invited commentary: a sunbed epidemic?
abstract: The Icelandic study of melanoma trends by Héry et al. in this issue of the Journal (Am J Epidemiol. 2010;172(7):762-767) is a fascinating analysis of an ecologic association. The authors noted a sharp increase in melanoma incidence that appeared to lag a few years behind the increased prevalence of sunbeds in Iceland. Caution, however, must be exercised in interpreting the data because of the lack of understanding of emissions of ultraviolet radiation from sunbeds and the ecologic nature of the data.
authors.affiliation: University of New Mexico Cancer Center and Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Department of Internal Medicine, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-0001, USA. mberwick@salud.unm.edu
authors.forename: Marianne
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berwick
mesh_terms: D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D006801:Humans; D007055:Iceland / Q000453:epidemiology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D009381:Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D055108:Sunbathing; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays / Q000009:adverse effects*
references.citation: Int J Cancer. 2007 Mar 1;120(5):1116-22
references.pmid: 17131335
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Mar 14;103(11):4111-5
references.pmid: 16537493
references.citation: Photochem Photobiol. 2008 Sep-Oct;84(5):1100-8
references.pmid: 18399922
references.citation: Melanoma Res. 2008 Feb;18(1):1-9
references.pmid: 18227701
references.citation: J Photochem Photobiol B. 2010 Nov 3;101(2):160-8
references.pmid: 20444619
references.citation: Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2010 Jun;19(6):1557-68
references.pmid: 20507845
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 May 18;107(20):9329-34
references.pmid: 20439744
references.citation: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Jul 15;90(14):6666-70
references.pmid: 8341684
references.citation: Eur J Cancer. 2005 Jan;41(1):20-7
references.pmid: 15617988
references.citation: Br J Dermatol. 1998 Sep;139(3):428-38
references.pmid: 9767287
references.citation: Lancet Oncol. 2009 Aug;10(8):751-2
references.pmid: 19655431
references.citation: Am J Epidemiol. 2010 Oct 1;172(7):762-7
references.pmid: 20813801
references.citation: Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2007 Aug;23(4):120-5
references.pmid: 17598864
references.citation: Health Phys. 1999 Oct;77(4):436-40
references.pmid: 10492351
references.citation: J Photochem Photobiol B. 1991 Jan;8(2):219-23
references.pmid: 1904923
references.citation: J Invest Dermatol. 2008 Dec;128(12):2905-8
references.pmid: 18615112
references.citation: J Natl Cancer Inst. 2003 Oct 15;95(20):1530-8
references.pmid: 14559875