MaryAnn Gerber always thought she was a responsible tanner.
While attending Weber State University, she followed safety guidelines provided at a tanning salon: she gradually increased the length of her sessions, covered her face halfway through and didn't burn.
But tanning made her freckle, and eventually she developed a mole on her cheek that became Stage III melanoma.
"I thought, 'There's no way. I'm 24. How's a 24-year-old getting skin cancer? That's insane,' " Gerber said. Now 28, she has a scar down the left side of her face and scars on her neck where her left lymph node was removed.
With the approach of summer, public officials are urging Utahns to protect themselves from the sun. About 450 Utahns are diagnosed with melanoma each year. And Utah is a "perfect storm" for increased cancer risk, warns dermatologist Sancy Leachman of the Huntsman Cancer Institute.
"We are one of the highest incident states for melanoma in the country," Leachman said, noting ultraviolet rays are more intense at high altitudes, Utah has many sunny days, and people are outside year round, from skiing to hiking.
Plus, she said, many Utahns are of northern European heritage, who freckle and burn easily and are already vulnerable to skin cancer. "But that doesn't mean that the people who are able to tan aren't vulnerable at all," she added.
Melanoma hits young people, she said, and while they might be aware that tanning can be
dangerous, many just don't want to be "lily white."
Studies show melanoma rates among women 15 to 39 have doubled from 1980 to 2004. And regular use of tanning beds is thought to increase the risk of developing melanoma by 55 percent, especially in women aged 20 to 29.
Identifying and removing cancerous moles and spots early on is critical, Leachman said. There's a 50 percent survival rate for Stage III melanoma, and it drops between 10-15 percent for Stage IV.
At 16, Kenna Gale of Holladay started tanning every day, either outdoors or in a tanning bed, because she and her friends wanted "to look young and beautiful and tan."
When she was 18, she had a mole removed for graduation pictures -- and discovered she had melanoma. Now 22, she carries sunscreen everywhere.
"People get sick of me putting sunblock on them," she said. "But they'll thank me when I save their life."
Cancer-survivor Gerber said she now appreciates her creamy complexion and speaks to students, telling them advertisements with tan, pretty people are misleading. She likens the tanning industry to tobacco sellers.
And Leachman finds it ironic that the people who tan often to look beautiful might not get skin cancer -- but they are likely to have more wrinkles and age spots.
mariav@sltrib.com
Don't fry!
-- Today is the first national "Don't Fry Day" to encourage sun safety awareness throughout the summer.
-- The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention is promoting the catchphrase "Slip! Slop! Slap! ... and Wrap" to encourage sunbathers to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher, slap on a hat, and wrap on sunglasses.
-- Another tip is to use a sunless self-tanning product -- instead of tanning -- and apply sunscreen to reduce skin cancer risk. Limiting outdoor activity during peak sun-exposure hours, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., is also recommended, as are yearly cancer screenings with a dermatologist.
-- A news conference will be held today to declare Salt Lake County a "SunWise Community" and Mayor Peter Corroon will encourage all school principals in the valley to join the effort. The "SunWise" designation, coming from the Environmental Protection Agency, will be announced at 11 a.m. at the Salt Lake City Sports Complex, 645 S. Guardsman Way.
Free screening
The Huntsman Cancer Institute is offering free skin cancer screening May 30, though you must have an appointment. Call 888-424-2100 to get a free full-body skin exam for adults. To see more of The Salt Lake Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sltrib.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Salt Lake Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, The Salt Lake Tribune