MRF Blog
Showing 1 to 5 of 32 in order of most recently published.
February 13, 2012 | Comments ()
The recent Congressional report on the way tanning salons market to teenagers is disturbing on a number of levels, though not particularly surprising. This is, after all, just the latest in a long line of stories about misleading and manipulative tactics from the indoor tanning industry.
Four years ago, the news show 20/20 sent people with hidden cameras into salons and filmed staff making false health claims, pushing clients to ignore the industry’s self-imposed limits on tanning, and minimizing the risks of indoor tanning. The District Attorney in Texas filed...
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February 8, 2012 | Comments ()
I read the report from Congress’ House Energy and Commerce Committee with great interest. They used interns to call 300 tanning salons—at least 3 in each state and the District of Columbia—and asked salon staff questions about tanning safety. Presenting themselves as a 16 year old girl with blond hair and fair skin, they asked if tanning was dangerous and how much they could tan.
To understand the significance of these questions, it is important to remember a few facts:
The World Health Organization has classified tanning beds as a carcinogen, in the same...
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January 9, 2012 | Comments (1)
I have been around hospitals, doctors, and life-threatening illnesses for a large portion of my life, so I was recently taken aback to learn that something I had heard said over and over in those settings might actually be insulting.
People respond to serious illness in different ways. Some people dive deep into the internet or library and read everything they can. Others turn to family, or to a series of second opinions. Some simply put their trust in their doctor and say, “You know what is best, just tell me what to do.”
With melanoma, though, treatment...
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December 27, 2011 | Comments ()
A close relative is a two-time cancer survivor. He was diagnosed with lymphoma, a form of cancer that is notorious for recurrence. Fortunately the doctors caught it early and rounds of radiation and chemotherapy worked their magic on the tumor. When he came back for a follow-up check after finishing therapy, they found a spot on his kidney. He was diagnosed with kidney cancer and had to have that organ removed. That was over a dozen years ago and he is still NED – no evidence of disease.
Even though more than a decade has passed since he had a...
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December 19, 2011 | Comments ()
The holidays can be challenging in many ways, and particularly when the previous year has brought the death of a loved one. Often, when someone dies of melanoma, the family elects to have donations made to MRF in that person’s memory. I am always moved by these decisions, that in the middle of a tragic event the people most affected by loss choose to use that event to help other people.
These memorial donations are critically important to our ability to fund research into more effective treatments. In essence, hope for current and future patients is often driven...
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