Melanoma Rates Up Dramatically Among Young People
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - A deadly skin cancer is on the rise. A new report says melanoma rates are up by 250 percent among young people in the U.S., especially in women.
The new report also says melanoma rates have doubled in the last 30 years.
"It's one of the most common cancers that young women get, next to breast cancer, and more emphasis needs to be put on melanoma," said Dr. Peter Lee, a melanoma specialist from the University of Minnesota. "People still go to the tanning booth. They still went years ago. Dr. DeAnn Lazovich's research here at the university showed that if you go to the tanning booth 10 times, it increases your risk for melanoma four or five fold."
Young women ages 15 to 39 seem to be most vulnerable, accounting for two-thirds of cases diagnosed in 2011.
"The good news about the research published is that even though there was an increase in melanoma among women, the cure rate is fairly high, something like 95 percent," Lee said.
That's because treatment is fairly easy early on, and detection tools, like the dermatoscope, are improving.
"You simply place it on the skin with an LED light, and you can see a mole in much higher detail," Lee said. "You can decide if you want to remove that mole or not."
Beyond sun exposure, Lee thinks there may be another link between women and melanoma.
"You wonder if estrogen has an impact," he said. "When you look at data from 20 years ago, or even 30 years ago, when tanning booths were not as popular, you still see an increase in women in that age group."
Lee said the best method to prevent melanoma and other skin cancers is to wear protective clothing, sunscreen and avoid the sun and tanning beds.
Additionally, everyone should track their skin and look for pigmented areas that change in color. Those are trouble areas. See a doctor if you find something abnormal.