I am honored to join a panel of ADVOCATES at the upcoming FDA General and Plastic Surgery Devices Advisory Panel Meeting on March 25th, 2010 in Maryland. 
Also presenting their stories will be other cancer survivors, and sadly, families of patients who died from Skin Cancer. Importantly, the leading doctors and researchers will share the facts undeniably linking Skin Cancer and tanning beds. Together, we will ask the FDA to appropriately reclassify tanning beds to better protect the public.
My personal story will be about my experience in tanning beds. I hope to be a part of the influence that changes how people think about tanning beds and its link to skin cancer. We can truly save lives by making this important first step to reclassify tanning beds. Join me by signing this petition at the link below:
WHY?
Any tan is a sign of skin damage, warns the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A tan results from exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays, forcing the skin to produce more melanin, the pigment that darkens skin. This process can lead to aging of the skin and skin cancer. UV radiation includes UVB rays, which penetrate the top layers of skin to cause sunburn, and UVA rays, which penetrate deeper layers of skin to cause allergic reactions. Both types of rays can cause DNA damage that leads to skin cancer. Lamps used in tanning salons emit both types of radiation, according to the FDA.TANNING BEDS HURT!
Radiation from the sun and artificial sources, including lamps in tanning salons, increases the risk of developing skin cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Women who use tanning beds more than once a month become 55 percent more likely to develop malignant melanoma, the NCI says. But both men and women increase their risks of developing skin cancer with long-term exposure to artificial sources of UV.
UVA RAYS BURN!The UVA radiation in tanning bed bulbs is up to three times more intense than UVA in natural sunlight, reports Dr. Celeste Robb-Nicholson of Harvard Women's Health Watch. Most of the 30 million Americans who use tanning salons each year are women between the ages of 16 and 49 years old.
THE CIGARETTES OF OUR GENERATION!
Tanning beds are a relatively new industry phenomenon, becoming popular in the United States during the 1970s. Long-term studies on populations soon began showing connections with skin cancer. In a report in the February 6, 2002, issue of the "Journal of the National Cancer Institute", the NCI found that indoor tanning devices were linked to a 50-percent increase in the risk of basal cell carcinoma and more than a 100-percent increase in risks of squamous cell carcinoma.
TANNING BEDS CAUSE CANCER!
Tanning beds are now considered to be in the highest cancer risk category by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a World Health Organization agency. Tanning beds had been classified as "probably carcinogenic to humans" but were elevated to "carcinogenic to humans" by the IARC following a review of research that was published in the July 29, 2009 issue of "The Lancet Oncology". The review concludes that tanning beds increase the risk of deadly melanoma skin cancer by 75 percent for people who begin using them before age 30.
Warnings
The IARC report confirms earlier warnings from the American Cancer Society (ACS), which state that tanning bed use "is dangerous to your health and should be avoided," according to Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the ACS. The IARC looked at 19 studies conducted over a 25-year period. The agency went so far as recommending the banning of commercial indoor tanning for people younger than 18 years old because the development of skin cancer is a long process that may take decades.
Warnings
The IARC report confirms earlier warnings from the American Cancer Society (ACS), which state that tanning bed use "is dangerous to your health and should be avoided," according to Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, deputy chief medical officer of the ACS. The IARC looked at 19 studies conducted over a 25-year period. The agency went so far as recommending the banning of commercial indoor tanning for people younger than 18 years old because the development of skin cancer is a long process that may take decades.
More information to come soon regarding the outcome of this important meeting.
Jenifer also knows all too well that prolonged exposure to the UV rays can result in Skin Cancer. As a 5-year survivor of Malignant Melanoma, Jenifer is making a difference with her non-profit organization, Cherish Your Skin. She understands that education equals prevention and that early detection is a key part to surviving Skin Cancer. Jenifer's goal as Mrs. Texas International 2010 will be to heighten awareness about Skin Cancer and stress the importance of Skin Cancer Prevention.
Opportunities abound throughout our great state of Texas to change paradigms and save lives. Cherish Your Skin Organization's mission, projects and platform will accomplish this, with vital partnerships with The Skin Cancer Foundation and MD Anderson Cancer Center. Her educational outreach includes health fairs and skin cancer screenings with presentations to children, parents and teachers in our school system. Sunscreen distribution along with readings of her early education book, Cherish Your Skin, make a difference in the lives she touches.
Soon, everyone was off to enjoy the fair, rides and games-and listen to great local music. Many enjoyed the "famous"oysters. I stopped to reapply my sunscreen, though, making sure I was protected for the rest of our fun in the sun!
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Fulton Mayor Russel Cole joins Fulton Fire Chief Ricky Mc Lester in welcoming you to a wonderful family outing at the Fulton Oysterfest! They have done all in their power to ensure this event will be safe, family fun and a weekend you will remember. There will be live music, yummy festival food (anyone want fried oysters? yum), unique artists, and even an oyster eating contest!
As a survivor of Malignant Melanoma who spent many years in tanning beds, I have joined the Skin Cancer Foundation in this important fight against tanning beds. I was told by the tanning bed salons that laying in the bed would provide a "safer" tan since I would "not be exposed to the dangerous rays". I was encouraged to get my daily "fix" over many years, because tanned bodies look healthier, right?
You can also help in this fight by signing an important petition to the FDA at the following site:
Mrs. 
The proceeds of the goods sold at Castaways benefit five area church groups which in turn, make donations to other community organizations benefiting our county overall. In 2009, Castaways gave $225,430 to over 25 organizations.
When you are performing the skin self-exam, look for: 
-Seek the shade, especially between 10a and 4pm.
Source: Skin Cancer Foundation 2009.jpg)
