7/11/08

According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), approximately 1 million new cases of skin cancer will be diagnosed in the United States in 2008. The AAD says that about one in every five Americans will develop skin cancer some time during his/her lifetime.

The most common types of skin cancer are basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Fortunately, they are easy to treat if detected early. More than 75% of skin cancer deaths are from melanoma.

For people aged 25 to 29 years, melanoma is the most common form of cancer. Melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for people aged 15 to 29. Melanoma is most commonly developed in the torso. Dermatologists suggest this may be due to high-risk tanning behaviors.

Five-year survival rates for people aged 10 to 39 years with melanoma are more than 90%, according to the AAD. Melanoma is expected to affect approximately 1 in every 58 American people during their lifetime. The risk of developing melanoma is higher among Caucasian men and women, and men over 50.

If a patient’s melanoma is detected and treated before it spreads to the lymph nodes, then his/her chances of surviving more than 5 years is 99%.

The AAD believes there will be approximately 116,500 melanoma cases this year—54,020 noninvasive (in situ) and 62,480 invasive (34,950 men and 27,530 women). In 2008, 8,420 people will have died because of melanoma (5,400 men and 3,020 women), or the equivalent of about one death every 62 minutes.

According to the World Health Organization, more than 65,000 people die from too much exposure to direct sunlight globally each year, with malignant skin cancer being the main cause of death.

[Source: AAD/Medical News Today]