Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer with over 2 million people a year being diagnosed.  More people come down with skin cancer than those diagnosed with breast, prostate, lung and colon cancer combined.  Around 90% of non-melanoma skin cancers are related to UV radiation from the sun.  Squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are the two main forms of non-melanoma skin cancer.  40 to 50% of people in America who live to age 65 will be diagnosed with skin cancer at least once in their lives.

In 2004, over $1 billion was expended on non-melanoma skin cancer treatment.  Basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer, is rarely fatal, but can be very damaging to the appearance if it can grow.  Squamous cell carcinoma is the 2nd most common form of skin cancer.  Approximately 700,000 people per year are diagnosed with it, and about 2,500 people succumb to it.

Most mutations found in melanoma are caused by UV radiation.  Although the incidence of some cancers are falling, the rate of melanoma is rising at a more rapid rate than any of the most common cancers.  While melanoma accounts for a mere 3% of  skin cancers, it causes more than 75% of skin cancer deaths.  The survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is around 99%, but survival rate is a mere 15% for patients with advanced cancer.

It has been found that Asian Americans and African Americans with melanoma are more likely to be diagnosed with advanced skin cancer when it is found.  The average annual melanoma rate for Caucasians is around 22 per 100,000,but only 1 per 100,000 for African Americans.  In sharp contrast, the overall melanoma survival rate for African Americans is only 77%, but is 91% for Caucasians.  And although melanoma is relatively rare in African Americans, Asians and Latinos, it is often fatal for them.

In the video below, some tips for checking yourself for skin cancer are given.

We hope that you learn to prevent cancer in yourself by getting more knowledgeable about cancer.

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