Reference
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Skin CancerEvery year, nearly 60,000 people worldwide die from skin cancer caused by exposure to too much sun, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The first-ever estimate of the global health burden caused by the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation shows about 48,000 deaths each year are caused by malignant melanoma, while another 12,000 deaths are caused by other types of skin cancer.
Melanoma is most common among whites, but it is also a threat to people of other races. Whites make up the vast majority of the cases (almost 70 percent). Hispanics account for nearly 29 percent and blacks represent almost 2 percent. However, blacks and Hispanics are more likely than whites to be diagnosed with melanoma that has spread beyond the skin. Most scientific studies and public health efforts about melanoma have focused on whites. Boosting melanoma awareness in nonwhite racial and ethnic groups is encouraged to initiate early melanoma detection.
Like many other cancers and diseases, the odds of survival are best when melanoma is detected in its early stages. Melanoma survival rose from 68 percent in the early 1970s to 92 percent in recent years for whites. Such advances, however, have not occurred in other segments of the population. Researchers note that access to medical care may have been an issue.
Skin color can vary widely within races. In general, lighter complexion skin that burns easily harbors less melanocytes and is at highest risk of both melanoma and nonmelanoma skin cancer. While everyone should check their skin for suspicious changes such as irregularly shaped moles, it can be difficult to spot such changes, especially on darker skin. Doctors can do skin exams as part of a routine checkup.
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Streaming Media
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Skin CancerIn this program, Dr. Kevin Soden, along with Johns Hopkins dermatologist Rebecca Kazin, provides an overview of the causes, detection, and treatment of skin cancer. In a question-and-answer session, they explore the ABCD&Es of skin cancer detection as well as some of the common myths about sun exposure. Additionally, Dr. Kazin discusses with Dr. Soden the three major types of skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma. Finally, Dr. Kazin explains to viewers the importance, and the process, of performing skin self-exams, how to protect the skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, and the procedures used by dermatologists to remove cancerous cells from the skin.
Online Resources
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Incidence Estimate of Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer (Keratinocyte Carcinomas) in the US Population, 2012Understanding skin cancer incidence is critical for planning prevention and treatment strategies and allocating medical resources. However, owing to lack of national reporting and previously nonspecific diagnosis classification, accurate measurement of the US incidence of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) has been difficult. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence of NMSC (keratinocyte carcinomas) in the US population in 2012 and the incidence of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the 2012 Medicare fee-for-service population. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This study analyzes US government administrative data including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Physicians Claims databases to calculate totals of skin cancer procedures performed for Medicare beneficiaries from 2006 through 2012 and related parameters.
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Screening for Skin Cancer: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation StatementBasal and squamous cell carcinoma are the most common types of cancer in the United States and represent the vast majority of all cases of skin cancer; however, they rarely result in death or substantial morbidity, whereas melanoma skin cancer has notably higher mortality rates. In 2016, an estimated 76 400 US men and women will develop melanoma and 10 100 will die from the disease. OBJECTIVE: To update the 2009 US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendation on screening for skin cancer. EVIDENCE REVIEW: The USPSTF reviewed the evidence on the effectiveness of screening for skin cancer with a clinical visual skin examination in reducing skin cancer morbidity and mortality and death from any cause; its potential harms, including any harms resulting from associated diagnostic follow-up; its test characteristics when performed by a primary care clinician vs a dermatologist; and whether its use leads to earlier detection of skin cancer compared with usual care. FINDINGS: Evidence to assess the net benefit of screening for skin cancer with a clinical visual skin examination is limited. Direct evidence on the effectiveness of screening in reducing melanoma morbidity and mortality is limited to a single fair-quality ecologic study with important methodological limitations. Information on harms is similarly sparse. The potential for harm clearly exists, including a high rate of unnecessary biopsies, possibly resulting in cosmetic or, more rarely, functional adverse effects, and the risk of overdiagnosis and overtreatment. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATION: The USPSTF concludes that the current evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of visual skin examination by a clinician to screen for skin cancer in adults (I statement).
Perspectives
Skin Cancer
Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime, according to AAD. Most types that are completely avoidable through preventative measures. Provide your readers with essential information on Skin Cancer. This book also serves as a historical survey, by providing information on the controversies surrounding its causes. Compelling first-person narratives by people coping with Cancer give readers a first-hand experience. Readers will learn from the words of patients, family members, or caregivers. The symptoms, causes, treatments, and potential cures are explained in detail. Alternative treatments are also covered. Student researchers and readers will find this book easily accessible through its careful and conscientious editing and a thorough introduction to each essay.
Skin Cancer
Each year, more than one million Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer, and it affects people of all ages. Indeed, a headline from USA TODAY, the Nation's No. 1 Newspaper, says, "Milder skin cancers [are] becoming more common among young [people]; consequences could lie ahead." An estimated 8,650 people die each year from melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. The good news is that the vast majority of skin cancers can be completely cured if discovered early enough. In this book, you'll read case studies of people with basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma and learn how these skin cancers develop. You'll also discover the risk factors for skin cancer and information on how to prevent it, giving the facts you need to know to protect yourself, your friends, and your family from this most common of all cancers.
Skin Cancer Prevention
Coedited by the President of the European Society of Skin Cancer Prevention, this guide provides a detailed overview of the three most common forms of skin cancer-basal cell, squamous cell, and melanoma-and authoritatively guides readers through current research related to the epidemiology, primary and secondary prevention, and identification of th