Skin Cancer Facts

One person dies every hour...

What is the leading cause of death? Is it heart disease? Car accidents? No, the main cause of death in America, is "skin cancer". Believe it or not, skin cancer effects more than a million people each year in America; one in 5 Americans will get skin cancer in the course of a lifetime, and it is estimated that - that number will increase over the next five years. In 2010, "Melanoma" hit an all time high with one in 50 Americans affected.

The incidence of melanoma, which is the most deadliest form of skin cancer, is rising faster than that of any other cancer. One person dies every hour from skin cancer, primarily melanoma. Nationally, there are more new cases of skin cancer each year than the combined incidence of cancers of the prostate, breast, lung, and colon.

Some positive news: "most of the things that pop up on our bodies as we age; moles, and skin tags are nothing to worry about", and they can be removed by a dermatologist - who will use a laser or scalpel to remove the mole - or you can choose the non-surgical method of mole removal with a natural mole removal cream.

CNN reports that "more than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure, yet most people use no form of sun protection; less than 33 percent of adults, adolescents, and children routinely use sun protection." The majority of people diagnosed with the melanoma form of skin cancer are "White Men over age 50."

Middle-aged and older men have the poorest track record for performing monthly skin self exams or regularly visiting a dermatologist. They are also the least likely individual to detect a melanoma in its early stages. While this type of skin cancer is uncommon in African-Americans, Asians, and Latinos, it is most deadly for these populations.

Melanoma also kills more young women under the age of 40 than any other cancer. In the past thirty years, skin cancer has tripled in women in America. The incidence of melanoma is increasing so rapidly in women that it is now the most common cancer in young women aged 25-29, and second only to breast cancer in women aged 30-34.

New research out on skin cancer and its causes revealed that one type of ray - the "UVA" causes more genetic damage than the other"UVB" rays. These UVB rays harm skin cells where most skin cancers arise – the keratinocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. The UVB rays tend to cause damage in more superficial epidermal layers. If you are not sure what skin cancer looks like, please follow the link below to "Skin cancer mole pictures"