Melanoma: The most dangerous form of skin cancer (that is highly curable when detected in its earliest stages & treated). An estimated 97,610 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the US, affecting 58,120 men and 39,490 women. It’s approximated 7,900 people will die from melanoma in 2023, comprised of 5,420 men and 2,570 women. It can occur on any skin surface! It begins in the type of skin cell called a melanocyte. As part of the tanning process, these skin cells produce large amounts of skin pigment, or melanin, to help protect the skin from burning. The main cause of melanoma appears to be related to excessive UV (ultra-violet) radiation exposure.
Who Is at Risk?
- Personal or family history of blemishes (dysplastic nevi or melanoma)
- Fair complexion
- Red hair
- Freckling
- Severe childhood sunburn. Protecting skin during the first 18 years of life reduces the risk of some types of skin cancer by up to 78%!!
- Large pigmented skin blemishes (congenital nevi)
Sun Facts
- You can get a sunburn even on a cloudy day! Up to 80% of the sun’s rays can penetrate light clouds, mist, and fog.
- Snow reflects the sun like a mirror. Fresh snow reflects nearly 90% of the sun’s rays.
- You can burn while you’re in the water! Water reflects 8% of the sun’s radiation.
- Dry surfaces reflect some of the sun’s rays. Concrete reflects up to 85% of the sun’s rays.
- Just one sunburn can increase your chance of developing skin cancer by 50%!
Sun Safety Tips
Protect yourself during any outdoor activity with sunscreen that has an SPF of @ least 15.
Sun’s peak hours are 10 am- 4 pm. Apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going outdoors to allow penetration into the skin. Reapply after 2 hours.
Research
The Philip A. Bryant Melanoma Foundation is proud to support the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute for the research & treatment of melanoma. Research continues to teach us more about melanoma. Scientists are learning more about its causes and are exploring new ways to prevent, find, and treat this disease. Because of research, deaths due to melanoma have dropped by about 5% per year over the last decade, due to advances in melanoma treatment. However, with a predicted 7,990 deaths this year from melanoma, more research is still critical for new treatment options. The new report from ACS shows that melanoma is the fifth most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States for both men and women.
To Learn More, Contact: Cancer Info Services @ 1-800-4-cancer www.melanoma.org
About the Black/White Melanoma Support Ribbon
- Accepted @ the Fifth World Conference on Melanoma, Venice, Italy, 3/2001.
- The black stripe is to remind us of the disease and to mourn the one person who dies every hour from melanoma just in the USA alone.
- Intertwined with the white stripe that signifies the hope for the cure!
- Melanoma Awareness Ribbon copyrighted 1997 by the William S. Graham Foundation for Melanoma Research, Inc.
