Melanoma Rates Doubled Over the Past 3 Decades & Continues to Rise Annually

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The rate of people diagnosed with melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, has doubled and has continued to rise annually in the U.S. in the last 30 years.

According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), skin cancer rates will continually increase over the next few years due to the lack of skin cancer precaution and intervention.

In 1982, there were approximately 11 per 100,000 people who were diagnosed with melanoma. In 2011, the number of new cases jumped to an alarming 23 per 100,000 people, according to Everyday Health.

For the study, the CDC looked at data in 2011 for melanoma incidence and deaths. They used the data to estimate the incidence of melanoma and mortality in the next 15 years. In line with this, they also estimated the health care costs saved from implementing comprehensive skin prevention programs.

Researchers of the study found that non-Latino whites had the highest incidence of melanoma deaths, followed by Hispanics, Asians and Pacific Islanders and African Americans. Women under the age of 49 were more susceptible than men. However, men, ages 50 and above, have an increased risk of developing melanoma.

"The rate of people getting melanoma continues to increase every year compared to the rates of most other cancers, which are declining," said Dr. Lisa Richardson, director of CDC and the Division of Cancer Prevention.

"If we take action now, we can prevent hundreds of thousands of new cases of skin cancers, including melanoma, and save billions of dollars in medical costs," Dr. Richardson added, according to Medical News Today.

The annual cost of treating melanoma patients will be more than double by 2030 if the trend continues. But according to the researchers, a skin cancer prevention program can help curb the incidences as well as the cost, LA Times has learned.

The researchers made a reference to an Australian skin cancer prevention program, SunSmart, in the study. The program prevented more than 9,000 skin cancers and more than a thousand deaths in Australia. If a similar prevention program were to be implemented in the U.S., it could prevent 230,000 melanoma cases and save $2.7 billion in skin cancer treatment costs from 2020 to 2030.

Skin cancer is one of the seven most common types of cancer in the United States. The majority of skin cancers are basal cell and squamos cell carcinomas. On the other hand, melanoma is considered to be the deadliest type. Skin cancer is usually caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR), a proven human carcinogen, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.