Even as the rates of some cancers are falling, Mayo Clinic is seeing a shocking trend: the dramatic rise of skin cancer, especially among people under 40. According to a study by Mayo Clinic, the incidence of melanoma has escalated, and young women are the hardest hit. Researchers conducted a population-based study. The study found the incidence of melanoma increased eightfold amongst young women and fourfold among young men. The lifetime risk of melanoma is higher in men, but in young adults and adolescents, it is higher in women. Researchers also found mortality rates from the disease have improved over the years, probably due to early detection of skin cancer and quick medical care. The researchers think that the use of indoor tanning beds is a major influence in the rising cancer rate in young women. A dermatologist at Mayo Clinic said a recent study reported that people who use indoor tanning beds frequently are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma, and we know young women are more likely to use them than young men. Despite all of this information about the dangers of tanning beds, young women continue to use them. The results of this study emphasize the importance of active interventions to decrease risk factors for skin cancer and, in particular, to continue to alert young women that indoor tanning has carcinogenic effects that increase the risk of melanoma. For more information on this story, please visit the Mayo Clinic website.Want to read more? Subscribe to one of our monthly plans to continue reading this article.