May is Melanoma Awareness Month! In light of this, I would like to share some Melanoma statistics that highlight why early skin cancer detection is important. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation:
- An estimated 87,110 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2017
- Melanoma accounts for less than one percent of skin cancer cases, but the vast majority of skin cancer deaths
- 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
- The estimated 5-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early is about 98 percent in the U.S. The survival rate falls to 62 percent when the disease reaches the lymph nodes, and 18 percent when the disease metastasizes to distant organs
- On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns
So don’t delay- have you skin checked by one of our highly-skilled providers at Sutton Ryan Dermatology!
Sarah Minarick, PA-C
