The Mayo Clinic Department of Dermatology on Monday published a study in its own research journal suggesting that melanoma incidence is increasing “especially” in young women and that indoor tanning is to blame — a flat-out deception that isn’t supported by real data. To make their allegation, they put together a study in their home county in Minnesota and attempt to suggest that their data are more accurate than the National Cancer Institute’s nationwide data.

They conveniently left out some pretty important points that begin to tear their report apart. Smart Tan sent a press statement out Monday morning discrediting Mayo’s attempt to attack tanning businesses. Smart Tan members received the statement Monday in a member advisory.

Mayo Dermatology alleged in the study that melanoma incidence in women 18-39 in Olmsted County, Minn., increased 8-fold from 1970-2009. But the single county that Mayo Clinic dermatology researchers used to produce a new study of melanoma incidence has 15 times more dermatologists per capita than the rest of the country — a confounding stat that Mayo failed to disclose and which explains why the paper suggested an increase that isn’t in the national data.

“This is too obvious to be just an oversight,” Smart Tan’s Joseph Levy said. “Dermatologists continue to ‘reverse-engineer’ bogus studies to sell their competitive attacks. They continue to use sunbeds in their offices for cosmetic treatments.”

Click here to view a pdf of Smart Tan’s press statement.