TALKING POINTS ABOUT MELANOMA/SKIN CANCER
 
 
PREVALENCE:

• Over one million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year, outnumbering the total number of other cancers combined
• 2000% increase in melanoma incidence since 1930 with one in 50 being affected
• Most common cancer killer of young women,  more common than breast cancer in ages 29-34

MORTALITY RATE:

• More than one person dies each hour from melanoma
• Advanced melanoma has no effective treatment

THE COST OF SKIN CANCER

• Cost of treating newly diagnosed skin cancer is 1 billion dollars annually
• Cost to medicare for treatment of melanoma is $495 million and projected to exceed $5 billion by 2010
• The emotional and physical costs are incalculable

THE FORGOTTEN CANCER

• Melanoma/skin cancer is the most underfunded of all cancers by federal and private agencies
• Early detection makes melanoma highly curable, but it is the least screened for cancer
• People find their own melanomas more frequently than doctors do and melanoma detection is not a training requirement for most medical disciplines

TO AVOID MELANOMA

• Seek shade and avoid direct sun during the peak hours of 10-4
• Cover up with protective clothing and use sunscreen lotion
• Protect your children and role model sun safe behaviors
• Examine your skin and that of your loved ones each season for any changes that should be checked by a dermatologist
• Avoid tanning salons: 15 minutes is equal to a whole day’s exposure at the beach

SOURCE:  National Cancer Institute
American Cancer Society's Facts and Figures, The Skin Cancer Foundation, The American Academy of Dermatology

SOURCE: Poole, Catherine, Guerry, DuPont, M.D.,  Melanoma Prevention Detection and Treatment, New Haven:  Yale University Press, 2005.