SKIN CANCER FACTS

Your skin is your largest organ. All cancer is scary, but cancer in your largest organ should REALLY scare you ! There are many forms of skin cancer, from the usually mild basal cell to melanoma, an aggressive and virulent cancer that is fatal if not caught early and treated quickly.

Most skin cancers are PREVENTABLE since more than 90 percent are caused by sun exposure. You do not have to stay out of the sun, but adequate protection and daily skin care are paramount. Use a sunscreen. Use a daily moisturizer and skin nutrients.

Here are some sobering facts about the MOST COMMON and FASTEST GROWING cancer in the USA courtesy of The Skin Cancer Foundation, NYC .

* More than 1.5 million NEW cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year in the USA

* One in five Americans and one in three Caucasians will develop skin cancer in the course of their lifetime.

* Each year in the USA, there are more new cases of skin cancer than the COMBINED incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, and colon.

* The incidence of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, is rising faster than that of any other cancer, with melanoma deaths now approaching 8000 yearly.

* One person dies every hour from skin cancer, primarily melanoma.

* By 2010, melanoma incidence is expected to affect ONE IN EVERY 50 Americans.

* Melanoma is uncommon in African-Americans, Latinos, and Asians, but it is deadliest for these populations.

* The majority of people diagnosed with melanoma are Caucasian males over age 50.

* Men over age 40 spend the most time outdoors, have the highest annual exposure to UV radiation, and are least likely to do regular skin examinations.

* In the past 30 years, skin cancer rates have tripled in women younger than 40.

* Melanoma is the second most common skin cancer in women aged 20-29.

* In the past 20 years there has been more than a 100 percent increase in cases of pediatric melanoma.

* Fewer than half of teens use sunscreen; fewer than 2/3 of adults use sunscreen.

* Estimates are that more than 2.3 million teens visit a tanning salon at least once yearly.

* ONE blistering sunburn in childhood more than DOUBLES a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.

* REGULAR sun protection in childhood can reduce the risk of skin cancer by 80 percent.

* The effects of photoaging (skin aging caused by unprotected sun exposure or tanning machines) can be seen as early as in one’s 20’s.