Skin Cancer & Melanoma Awareness month is drawing to a close. We hope you took some note of the stories, facts, information and tips we’ve shared through the month on the importance of taking a proactive approach to your skin’s health. Annual screenings and paying attention to your own body are small steps that can absolutely save your life.
We thought we’d wrap up the month with some 2017 statistics to put it all into perspective:
- One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 54 minutes).
- An estimated 87,110 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2017
- An estimated 9,730 people will die of melanoma in 2017.
- The vast majority of melanomas are caused by the sun. In fact, one UK study found that about 86 percent of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
- On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns.
- Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40% and the risk of developing melanoma by 50%.
- More than 419,000 cases of skin cancer in the U.S. each year are linked to indoor tanning, including about 245,000 basal cell carcinomas, 168,000 squamous cell carcinomas, and 6,200 melanomas
- Individuals who have used tanning beds 10 or more times in their lives have a 34 percent increased risk of developing melanoma compared to those who have never used tanning beds.
- People who first use a tanning bed before age 35 increase their risk for melanoma by 75%
If you haven’t yet- Take the first step. Make an appointment with one of Germain Dermatology’s Skin Experts and mark your annual skin check off the list! Call us today: 843-881-4440www.germaindermatology.com