Skin Cancer Rates in Middle-aged Women Triple

 

Women under 40 are showing higher incidences of nonmelanoma skin cancer, according to a new study appearing in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Rates for basal cell and squamous cell cancers have increased from 13 per 100,000 women to 32 per 100,000 over the last 30 years. Experts cite tanning as a possible reason for the rise. “Tan is still accepted as a sign of health and a sign of beauty,” says Leslie Christenson, MD, dermatologist and study author at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Christenson recommends prevention at an early age, limiting sun exposure and always applying sunscreen.