Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention

Quick Skin Cancer Facts

• More than 1 million new cases of skin
  cancer will be diagnosed in the United
  States this year.
  
• Current estimates are that 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
  
• Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old
  and the second most common form of cancer for adolescents and young
  adults 15-29 years old.
  
• Melanoma is increasing faster in females 15-29 years old than males in the same age group. In females 15-29 years old, the torso is the most common location for developing melanoma which may be due to high-risk tanning behaviors.
  
• Melanoma in individuals 10-39 years old is highly curable, with five-year survival rates exceeding 90 percent.
  
• More than 75 percent of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma.
  
• The five-year survival rate for people whose melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nods is 99 percent.

What You Can Do

• The American Cancer Society recommends periodic skin examination as part of any cancer related check-up depending on a person’s age and gender.
  
• Individuals with a history of melanoma should have a full body exam at least annually and perform regular self-exams for new and changing moles.

Tanning Beds. . . Safe Sun?

• On an average day in the United States, more than 1 million people tan
  in tanning salons.
  
• Nearly 70 percent of tanning salon patrons are girls and women, primarily aged
  16 to 29 years.
  
• Nearly 28 million people tan indoors in the United States annually. Of these,
  2.3 million are teens.
  
• The indoor tanning industry has an estimated revenue of $5 billion, a fivefold
  increase from 1992.
  

Risks of Indoor Tanning

• The United States Department of Health and Human Services has declared ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and artificial sources, such as tanning beds and sun lamps, as a known carcinogen (cancer-causing substance).
• Indoor tanning equipment, which includes all artificial light sources, including tanning beds, lamps, bulbs, booths, etc., emits UVA and UVB radiation. The amount of the radiation produced during indoor tanning is similar to the sun and in some cases may be stronger.
• Evidence from several studies has shown that exposure to UV radiation from indoor tanning devices is associated with an increased risk of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer such as squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma.
• A review of seven studies found a statistically significant increase in the risk of melanoma in those who had been exposed to UV radiation from indoor tanning before the age of 35.
• Studies have demonstrated that exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning damages the DNA in skin cells. Also excessive exposure to UV radiation during indoor tanning can lead to skin aging, immune suppression, and eye damage, including cataracts and ocular melanoma.
• Because UV radiation from indoor tanning can lead to skin cancer, eye damage, aging skin and immune suppression, it is not safe to use tanning lamps to obtain vitamin D.
  

Source:www.AAD.org

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