8 things you didn’t know about skin cancer
Wear sunscreen. Avoid tanning beds. Limit time in the sun.
Think you know everything about skin cancer? These facts may surprise you.
- Melanoma accounts for only 1 percent of skin cancers but causes the most skin-cancer-related deaths.
- About one in every 10 persons diagnosed with skin cancer has a family member with a history of melanoma.
- Once you have had melanoma, you have an increased risk of recurrence. Additionally, if you have or had other forms of skin cancer, you are at an increased risk of developing melanoma.
- $343 million. That’s the cost of medical care for tanning-associated skin cancers, according to the Journal of Cancer Policy.
- Left-sided facial cancers and wrinkling are more common in the United States because of the position we drive in.
- About 60 percent of people diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, are white men over 50.
- You can get melanoma in your eyes.
- Over the last 30 years, more people have had skin cancer than all other cancers combined.
Dr. Nilam Amin, a dermatologist on staff at Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, recommends getting skin checks on a regular basis for early detection of any skin abnormalities.
“Many forms of skin cancer are highly curable with local treatments, but others, like melanoma, can advance and spread if not detected early,” says Dr. Amin. “Signs of skin cancer can be very subtle, so it is very important to have any new or changing skin growths, sores that don’t heal or other areas of concerned checked by your physician.”
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About the Author
Janine Sheedy is a public affairs and marketing manager at Advocate Health Care in Downers Grove. She holds a B.A. in communications from Loyola University New Orleans and an MBA from Loyola University Chicago. She has more than seven years of communications experience, most recently serving as a public relations and marketing manager for the Illinois Hospital Association. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading and Green Bay Packers football. On September 9, 2017, Janine will be running for the coveted Musky Queen title at Wills Northwoods Inn.
