Written by Margaret Kontras Sutton, M.D.
Skin cancer warning signs are often ignored by the male population. Here are some alarming facts confirming this:
—The most common location for melanoma in men is the back,
—Melanomas in men tend to be more advanced at the time of diagnosis,
—Men are less likely to notice when their moles change,
—By age 65 the chance of melanoma in men is twice as high as that of women, and by age 80 the chance of melanoma is three times as high as that in women of the same age,
—If a man has a history of a non melanoma skin cancer he is at higher risk of prostate cancer
For these reasons it is especially important that men perform self skin checks monthly, PLUS have skin checks performed by a dermatologist, especially if they have risk factors such as increased sun exposure earlier in life, exhibit many large or unusual moles, have family history of skin cancer, have fair skin with light hair and eye color, or are over the age of 60.
