5DeTizio

Skin Cancer-A I think that there should be an introduction of legislation regarding the regulation of indoor tanning. The risk of melanoma is dramatically increased with the use of tanning beds. Even in people who have only used tanning beds a couple of times in their lives are at a much higher risk of developing the most deadly form of skin cancer. Melanoma is the most deadly because it grows deep in the tissue of the skin and it spreads easily to other parts of the body. It is common for people to think that if something is legal then it can't be bad for them. Many people disregard the warnings about tanning because they think that if it was really bad for them then it would be illegal. At the very least, tanning salons should be required to make their customers aware of the risk they are taking. The World Health Organization has declared tanning devices to be carcinogenic just like smoking, so the warnings should be similar to the ones required of cigarette companies. Also, I think that there should be an age restriction on indoor tanning. The FDA stated that protection from UVA and UVB rays is especially important in young children and teenagers. Since the majority of tanning customers are teenagers or young adults, they have an added risk of developing skin cancer because of their age. There is also the problem of young people thinking that their actions early in life will never affect them later in life. Many people think that they are invulnerable to skin cancer despite the fact that it is one of the most common cancers in young adults. Another reason for an age minimum on indoor tanning is that people who decide to tan should be old enough to understand the harm they are causing themselves. There are other risks that come from tanning in addition to skin cancer. Excessive tanning can lead to cancer of the eye and DNA damage which can lead to cancer. Although there are presently laws in some places restricting the use of tanning beds for minors, these laws should be nation-wide and stricter. In most places, minors are still allowed to indoor tan with a parent's consent. To me, this seems similar to allowing minors to buy cigarettes with a parent's consent as tanning can be just as dangerous as smoking. The federal government should be pushing for a ban on the use of all indoor tanning devices by people u nder the age of 18 and more warnings to spread awareness of the risks that come along with tanning.

Breast Cancer- Angelina Jolie Mastectomy Angelina Jolie recently underwent a double mastectomy in order to decrease her chances of developing breast cancer in the future. She had genetic testing done which showed that she has a BRCA1 gene mutation. The mutation gave her an 87% risk of getting breast cancer. After the mastectomy, she had decreased her risk to under 5%. The procedure involved 3 months of operations and recovery including reconstruction. Angelina Jolie believes that more women should have access to genetic testing to find out their risk and their options. She urges women to get tested especially if they have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. The one drawback for many women is the cost of genetic testing. It can be more than $3,000 and not all insurance policies cover it. I think that Angelina Jolie’s decision to have a preventative double mastectomy is encouraging to women who are going through the same thing. It shows how much power women can have over their health and that they do not have to be a victim of the disease just because they have a mutation. However, there are some drawbacks to the publicity of Angelina Jolie’s decision. Now a lot of women are going to be attracted to the idea of surgery to prevent breast cancer. Surgery is not suggested for women who do not have a heightened risk of developing breast cancer. The procedure could actually be harmful to someone who does not have a family history of breast or ovarian cancer. There are many gene mutations other than the BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations that are usually associated with breast cancer. There are a lot of mutations that are of “unknown significance” to the risk of breast cancer. When women are diagnosed with one of these mutations, it can scare them into taking dramatic preventative measures that are not always necessary. Even in women who are undergoing treatment for breast cancer, mastectomy may not be the best option for them. There has be a tremendous amount of research and improvement in the treatment of breast cancer and sometimes other treatments like lumpectomy can be more effective. I think that although Angelina Jolie’s decision has increased awareness about the options women have to take control of their health, it is important for women to know that everyone is different and just because something worked for her, it is not right for everyone. There is a lot of publicity in the media about breast cancer and it can scare women into thinking that they have to take preventative measures. Conjoined twins: