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| Young Women Hardest Hit by Rising Melanoma Rate Action Points - More young adults, and especially women in their 20s and 30s, are presenting with cutaneous melanoma.
- Note that the risk of dying from melanoma fell by 9% a year from 1970-1979 through 2000-2009.
More young adults, and females in particular, are presenting with cutaneous melanoma, but overall and disease-specific survival have improved over time, researchers reported. A longitudinal analysis covering four decades showed that the incidence of cutaneous melanoma rose by a factor of more than 6 from 1970-1979 through 2000-2009, according to Jerry Brewer, MD, and colleagues at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. On the other hand, the risk of dying from melanoma fell by 9% a year over the same period, Brewer and colleagues reported in the April issue of�Mayo Clinic Proceedings. The findings come from data collected by the Rochester Epidemiology Project, which has been aggregating medical information on residents of Olmstead County, Minn., since 1966. The researchers cautioned that residents of the county -- largely white and highly educated -- might not reflect the rest of the U.S. population, so the results may not apply more widely. However,�research�based on the CDC's Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database has shown that national melanoma rates have been rising, while survival has been improving, the researchers noted. "We anticipated we'd find rising rates, as other studies are suggesting," Brewer said in a statement. "But we found an even higher incidence than the National Cancer Institute had reported using the (SEER) database, and in particular, a dramatic rise in women in their 20s and 30s." The analysis included 256 men and women, ages 18 to 39, with a first lifetime diagnosis of melanoma from Jan. 1, 1970, through Dec. 31, 2009, the researchers reported. Over the four decades, he and colleagues found, the incidence rate per 100,000 residents rose from 4.8 in 1970 through 1979 to 30.8 in 2000 through 2009. In absolute numbers, there were 16 diagnoses in 1970-1979, 44 in the 1980s, 67 in the 1990s, and 129 in 2000 through 2009, Brewer and colleagues reported. Among men, the rate went from 4.3 per 100,000 residents to 18.6 over the four decades, slightly more than a four-fold increase. Among women, the rate skyrocketed by a factor of more than eight, from 5.4 to 43.5 cases per 100,000 residents. But each 1-year increase in calendar year of diagnosis was associated with an 8% reduction in the risk of death from any cause, which was significant at�P=0.005. And each 1-year increase in calendar year of diagnosis was also associated with a 9% decreased risk of death from metastatic melanoma, which was significant at�P=0.01, they reported. The researchers also found that over the years the proportion of early-stage cancers among the diagnoses rose, perhaps as a result of better awareness of the risk of skin cancer. The researchers noted that tanning beds have been associated with increased risk of skin cancer, and Brewer said they might play a role in the increased incidence he and colleagues found. "The rise in tanning bed behavior over the years is probably a major contributor," he said. The researchers cautioned that the epidemiology project might have missed some cases of melanoma, if patients sought treatment elsewhere. As well, they noted, residents of the county usually have good medical care, so the result might not apply to populations with more limited access. | | |
| s a young adult with porcelain skin � I prefer that term to �pale� � I get it. Bronzed skin is perpetually �in� and nobody likes going to the beach only to have to sit under an umbrella and shield their eyes from the glare of their own upper thighs. But a new study from the Mayo Clinic finds an alarming increase in skin cancer among young adults, and the reason may be their persistent efforts to tan. Published in the April issue of�Mayo Clinic Proceedings, the study reports that between the years 1970 to 2009,�the incidence of melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men aged 18 to 39. Although men generally have a higher lifetime risk of melanoma than women do, the researchers found the opposite trend to be true among the young adults. �We knew we would see an increase in rates among young women, but we were surprised we saw such a dramatic increase. This seems to be higher than what has been reported previously,� said Mayo Clinic dermatologist Dr. Jerry Brewer in a teleconference. (MORE:�Fake Tans Help Keep Women Out of the Sun) For the study, researchers used data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project, a decades-long database of patient care in Olmsted County, Minn. The researchers looked at first-time melanoma diagnoses for all patients. Based on previous studies on tanning behavior, the authors suggest that the�rise of melanoma�among young women is linked to their penchant for indoor tanning. In 2009, the International Agency of Research on Cancer declared�tanning beds�a human carcinogen,�moving�them into the top cancer-risk category alongside cigarettes. According to Dr. Brewer, tanning beds and cigarettes have the same cancer risk, but teens are ignoring the warnings. He says there is a disconnect in education about the dangers of tanning-bed use that needs to be acknowledged. �Tanning beds can give you seven times the dose of UV radiation as the sun,� says Dr. Brewer, �but young adults are still going.� (MORE:�Why Teens Sunbathe More, Use Sunscreen Less) It�s important to note that although melanoma rates are on the rise, mortality rates have improved. Researchers credit this to improved early detection methods and prompt medical procedures. �People are now more aware of their skin and of the need to see a doctor when they see changes. As a result, many cases can be caught before the cancer advances to a deep melanoma, which is harder to treat,� said Dr. Brewer in a�statement. Dr. Brewer and his fellow researchers support�bans on tanning booth use�� especially for teens and young adults, who are�more vulnerable�to the damaging effects of early and frequent tanning � but they recognize the difficulty of enforcing them. �It�s like trying to ban cigarettes, it�s very hard. Should we be limiting tanning beds? Absolutely. Is it easy? Absolutely not. Many�states do have bans, but kids are smart. We say, �You need a parent�s signature,� and the kids write the signature themselves,� said Dr. Brewer in the teleconference. The study group was predominately caucasian, but the researchers say the findings are valid and applicable to similar U.S. populations of the same age range. �There is currently a melanoma epidemic in the U.S., particularly in young women and middle-aged men. This has been documented by various large population based studies, with our study confirming that trend in young women,� says Dr. Brewer. (MORE:�In Young Tanners, Fear of Wrinkling Is Worse than Cancer) But if people know what to look for, they can prevent melanoma. It only takes about three minutes to do a skin exam. �Simply look at your skin,� says Dr. Brewer. �This includes getting mirrors and looking at your back and other�hard to see areas. It takes a bit of education to get young people to start performing this initial first step, but once they do, the simple act of looking over your skin can significantly decrease chances of dying from skin cancer.� Dr. Brewer also recommends educating yourself on the ABCDE�s of melanoma: A � asymmetry: one side of a mole or dark spot looks different from the other half B � border: instead of being circular or oval, the mole has a jagged edge C � color: the mole has more than one color, a dark area, a light�area or the colors red, white, or blue within it D � diameter: the mole is larger than 6 mm across, roughly the size of a pencil eraser E � evolution: any other changes are noted in the mole, even if the change can�t be categorized by A, B, C or D, above. Any itching or bleeding in a mole is also important.
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| | There has been a dramatic rise in skin cancer cases in women aged under 40, according to leading U.S medical researchers. Researchers from the Mayo Clinic found the incidence of melanoma increased eightfold among young women and fourfold among young men. Melanoma is the most dangerous type of skin cancer and can spread rapidly. The study looked for first-time diagnoses of melanoma in patients aged 18 to 39 living in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1970 to 2009. Study leader Dr Jerry Brewer, said: 'We anticipated we'd find rising rates, as other studies are suggesting, but we found an even higher incidence than the National Cancer Institute had reported using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result database, and in particular, a dramatic rise in women in their 20s and 30s.' The lifetime risk of melanoma was found to be higher in males than females, but the opposite was true in young adults and adolescents. Researchers also found mortality rates from the disease have improved over the years, likely due to early detection of skin cancer and prompt medical care.
'People are now more aware of their skin and of the need to see a doctor when they see changes,' Dr Brewer said.
'As a result, many cases may be caught before the cancer advances to a deep melanoma, which is harder to treat.'
Over-exposure to strong sunlight without protection is another risk-factor for melanoma The researchers speculated that the use of indoor tanning beds is a key culprit in the rising cancer rate in young women.
'A recent study reported that people who use indoor tanning beds frequently are 74 percent more likely to develop melanoma, and we know young women are more likely to use them than young men,' Dr Brewer said. 'The results of this study emphasise the importance of active interventions to decrease risk factors for skin cancer and, in particular, to continue to alert young women that indoor tanning has carcinogenic effects that increase the risk of melanoma.' Janey Helland, frpm Mapleton, Minnestoa, said she didn't think of the dangers when tanning in high school and college.
'I used tanning beds to get ready for homecoming and prom,' she says.�
'In college, I tanned before a trip to Barbados because I didn't want to get sunburned.' At age 21, Ms Helland noticed an abnormal spot on her leg. It was melanoma, and the diagnosis changed her life.
'I really didn't know what my future was going to look like, or if I'd even have one,' she said.
Two years later, she is cancer-free and dedicated to educating others.�
'I would advocate that it's better to be safe than sorry,' she said. 'My advice is to educate yourself and research the risk factors.'
Childhood sunburns and ultraviolet exposure in adulthood may also contribute to melanoma development, the researchers say. | | | | Planning to head to a tanning salon to beef up your bronze looks for prom and graduation or to get a head start on beach season? Young people might want to reconsider. A dramatic rise in skin cancer rates among young adults is leading health officials to shed light on the risk factors, specifically tanning salons, which women are more likely to use. Women under 40 are hit hardest by the escalating incidence of melanoma, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, out today. Researchers examined records from a decades-long database of all patient care in Olmsted County, Minn., and looked for first-time diagnoses of melanoma in patients 18-39 from 1970 to 2009. Melanoma cases increased eightfold among women in that time and fourfold for men, the authors say. "We need to get away from the idea that skin cancer is an older person's disease,' says report co-author Jerry Brewer, a dermatologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. The findings might be explained by gender-specific behaviors addressed in other studies, the authors wrote. "Young women are more likely than young men to participate in activities that increase risk for melanoma, including voluntary exposure to artificial sunlamps." The study is the latest evidence of a steady rise in skin cancer. A major government study published Wednesday reported that while new cases of many of the most common cancers are declining, melanoma cases are increasing. "We're very concerned about the melanoma rates and the damage done by early exposure to sun, but also the increasing use of tanning beds," says physician Marcus Plescia, director of the division of cancer prevention for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tanning industry disagrees The Indoor Tanning Association defends tanning lamps. "There is no consensus among researchers regarding the relationship between melanoma skin cancer and UV exposure either from the sun or a sunbed," says�executive�director�John Overstreet. "I expect more from the Mayo Clinic. There is no direct link from their report to tanning beds." Yet, according to the�National�Institutes of Health, excess exposure to ultraviolet light increases risk for all skin cancers. UV light is invisible radiation that can damage DNA in the skin and can be generated by the sun, sunlamps and tanning beds. Skin cancer most often occurs in people 50 and older. Melanoma is the most serious type and is potentially deadly. Symptoms include changes in an existing mole or development of an unusual growth on your skin, according to the Mayo Clinic. People with fair skin are at higher risk. The authors noted that the population of Olmsted County is mostly white. The 'Jersey Shore' effect Fair skin has less pigment to protect the body from UV radiation. Other risk factors: one or more severe sunburns as a child, an unusual number of moles, a family history of melanoma � and exposure to UV light. The possibility of skin cancer might seem remote to young people. "I think (TV) shows like Jersey Shore portray healthy people as someone who has a great tan,' says Laura Hopwood, 22, who was diagnosed with melanoma a year ago. "Somehow you're not attractive unless you're deeply tanned. Before I developed melanoma, a friend scolded me about not using sunscreen." Hopwood, who works at Barnard College in New York, says she did not do enough to protect herself from sun damage but has never used a tanning bed. Her parents have not had melanoma. A surgeon made an incision from below her left eye to nearly her chin to remove damaged skin. Now she gets routine skin checkups every six months. "The people most affected are not just Baby Boomers but actually young adults," says Hopwood's dermatologist, Kavita Mariwalla, director of dermatological surgery at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York. "Tanning before prom or big events has become a 'norm' for many teenagers. What they don't know is that each time they visit a tanning booth, their risk of skin cancer rises." | |
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