Do nonmelanoma skin cancer survivors use tanning beds more often than the general public?
e20017 Background: Tanning bed use increases the incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC), however utilization of indoor tanning after diagnosis in this population is not well-studied. We sought to determine if tanning bed use among NMSC survivors differed from the general population. Methods: The National Health Interview Survey is an annual population-based survey that is representative of the civilian US population. We utilized the 2010 cancer supplement to evaluate self-reported tanning bed use in the previous 12 months in self-reported NMSC survivors compared to individuals without a history of skin cancer. Results: In 2010, 24,941 people were surveyed, 1.85% of whom had a self-reported history of NMSC. On univariate analysis, NMSC survivors were significantly less likely to use tanning beds in the previous 12 months (2.16 vs. 5.61%, p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, however, NMSC survivors were equally likely to use tanning beds as those who had never had skin cancer (see Table). Conclusions: When controlling for other sociodemographic factors, NMSC survivors were no less likely to use tanning beds than the general population. These findings suggest a need to better educate NMSC survivors about the increased risk of future skin cancers with ongoing tanning bed use. [Table: see text]