Skin cancer in perspective…….

I know, I just can’t help being a trainer. I’ve received reactions and comments over the years that suggest some misunderstandings about skin cancer, so here is a short lesson that may answer some questions.
More than 1 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are diagnosed in the U.S. each year, making it the most common of cancers. Most of these are basal cell (the most common) or squamous cell carcinomas. Both of these cancers are easily treated, rarely spread and rarely cause serious problems when caught early. A quick bit of outpatient surgery and that’s it. And here’s the most important point: they do not turn into melanoma, nor is there evidence that they increase the risk of melanoma. There seems to be a strong association with UV exposure and these cancers, so use your sun screen.
Melanoma, the most dangerous skin cancer, is diagnosed in about 70,000 patients a year, and if caught early and removed has a 99% survival rate after 5 years. Obviously I fell l into the 1%. About 11,500 people die from melanoma each year. They don’t really know what causes it – there is not as strong an association with UV exposure and it is not significantly hereditary (good news for my kids). And, obviously, they don’t have any good ideas about how to treat it, either. Melanoma and renal cell cancers are the big mysteries today.
As a basis for comparison the most common cancer in women is breast cancer, with 192,000 new cases each year and 40,000 deaths. The most common in men is prostate cancer, also with 192,000 new cases but a smaller number of deaths a year, 27,000. Lung cancer has fewer new cases (219,000 men and women) but accounts for more deaths (160,000 combined) than any other cancer, but it’s tied to smoking….none of you still smoke, right?
I drew on the Mayo Clinic and American Cancer Society websites for this info. If you want to know more you can look it up yourself. End of lesson.