*Melanoma is the 8th most frequent cancer in Canada, affecting 5,000 people in 2009 and causing 940 deaths.
*Melanoma is most common on the backs of men and on the legs of women, although it can appear anywhere on the skin
* The lifetime risk of melanoma for Canadian men is now 1 in 74. For women, it is 1 in 90. In comparison, the lifetime risk of melanoma for Americans in the 1930’s was 1 in 1500.
*Excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure from the sun and sun beds plays the leading role in the development of melanoma and is the most preventable cause of this disease.
*Looking at all cancers found in the 15 to 29 age group, melanoma was the 3rd most common cancer in young women.
*Risk factors for melanoma include: fair skin that burns and is unable to tan; freckles; red or blond hair; many moles; moles which are large or unusual in color or shape; close family history of melanoma; excessive UV exposure from the sun and/or sun beds; a history of sever sunburns.
*One blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.”¹ “A person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any age.”². Is your child sun protected?
*Skin cancer can be prevented and it is never too late to start taking better care of your skin! Clothing appears to provide one of the most convenient forms of protection against ultraviolet radiation (UV). However, not all clothing is sufficiently protective against UV radiation
*More than 75,100 Canadians will be diagnosed with non-melanoma skin cancer in 2009.
*Canadians born in the 1990’s have two to three times higher lifetime risk of getting skin cancer compared to those born in the 1960. Those born in the 1990’s have a lifetime risk of 1 in 6. Those born in the 1960’s have 1 in 20 lifetime risk.
*The main cause of skin cancer is too much UV radiation
*Skin cancer is one of a small number of cancers that can be prevented through simple measures such as limiting sun exposure seeking shade, wearing hats and clothing and using SPF 30 or higher broad spectrum sunscreen.
