There's no such thing as a healthy tan

May is National Melanoma and Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month — just in time for summer. It’s a time for pool parties, barbecues, vacations and trips to the beach. For children and adults alike, the sun has always symbolized fun and relaxation — but now, more than ever, we must remember that it can also be deadly.

There is no such thing as a healthy tan. Skin darkens in response to the sun’s damaging rays. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the U.S., where someone dies of its most serious form, melanoma, every hour. It has become an epidemic in young women, for whom it is the No. 1 cancer in those ages 25 to 29. It is the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young adults ages 15 to 29 — and one of the reasons is the popularity of tanning beds.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer, a group affiliated with the World Health Organization, has recently added ultraviolet (UV) radiation-emitting tanning devices — tanning beds and lamps — to the list of the most dangerous forms of cancer-causing radiation. Indoor tanning, a $5 billion business, has been strongly linked to melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, more than 2 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed this year. It is estimated that one in five Americans will develop it in their lifetimes. Your risk for skin cancer doubles if you have had five or more sunburns over the years. Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are the two most common forms of skin cancer, but can be treated if detected early. The most common spot cancer is found on the torso, and is usually the result of deliberate tanning.

Prevention and early detection are essential. If melanoma is caught before it has spread to the lymph nodes, the five-year survival rate is 99 percent. In other words, early detection can save your life. The American Cancer Society recommends periodic skin examination, and anyone with a history of melanoma should have a full body exam at least once a year and do regular self-exams, looking for new and changing moles.