[pharaohgeek]

Young-ish cancer survivor here. I would add "9a. Don't ever go to a tanning salon" to this list, per my oncologist. There are genetic factors that caused my cancer, so naturally I was worried about recurrence. Her comments to me? "Do you smoke? No? Good. Don't start. Do you visit tanning salons? No? Good. Don't start." The rest falls into "trying to live a moderately healthy lifestyle". Oh, and definitely #6. If something doesn't seem/look/feel right then have a doctor check it out.

[Mistletoe]

Did you get skin cancer?

I’ve often wondered if the higher vitamin D we get from the sun or even tanning beds outweighs the risks from melanoma. Low vitamin D is a big risk factor in the modern world.

https://ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S0002-9165(22)03753-4/

https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/38/2/1111

> Therefore, we rebut these conclusions by addressing the incomplete analysis of the adverse health effects of UV and sunbed exposure (what is ‘safe’?) and the censored representation of beneficial effects, not only but especially from vitamin D production. The stance taken by both agencies is not sufficiently supported by the data and in particular, current scientific knowledge does not support the conclusion sunbed use increases melanoma risk.

[mannykannot]

The first article merely shows that the use of tanning beds is one way to raise vitamin D levels. The second tries to make vitamin D an issue, but to show that there is a case for raising vitamin D levels in a nontrivial part of the population, it relies on studies which show that supplementation via pills is beneficial! It is one thing to say that there is no good evidence for tanning beds increasing melanoma risk (a claim that I am in no position to either endorse or dispute), but I regard it as tendentious for the authors to raise the vitamin D issue when no evidence is presented to show that tanning beds are any better at doing this than simple supplementation - it is like saying that one of the benefits of chemically treating the water supply is that dehydration is bad for you.

[AlexandrB]

To get enough vitamin D you need ~10 minutes a day[1] in direct sunlight with 25% skin exposed.

> In spring and summer, 25 percent of the body (the hands, face, neck and arms) is exposed to the sun, and in these seasons, about 8 to 10 minutes of sun exposure at noon produces the recommended amount of vitamin D.

[1] https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/ask-the-doctors-roun...

[treprinum]

You can significantly lower risk of dying from melanoma by taking H1 antihistamines, especially desloratadine and to some extent diphenhydramine.

[pharaohgeek]

No, my cancer was a sarcoma in my left shoulder.