Posted Feb 5, 2013
If you’re escaping the Northland winter for a few days at the beach, state health officials hope you’ll pack some sunblock.
Melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is on the rise while other forms of cancer are ebbing, the Minnesota Department of Health reports in a news release.
From 2005 to 2009, melanoma rates in Minnesota increased by
35 percent for males and 38 percent for females.
“For Minnesotans the main risk for sun exposure is in the summer, but we also want to remind people taking winter vacations that they risk serious health consequences if they don’t protect their skin from ultraviolet light,” said Dr. Ed Ehlinger, the state’s health commissioner, in the news release.
Tanning booths also increase one’s risk of cancer, Ehlinger said.
“A base tan does not help,” he said. “A base tan is just more exposure that adds to your risk of skin cancer.”
©2013 the Duluth News Tribune (Duluth, Minn.)
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