Melanoma on rise among older American men

Fremont, California, January 9: Melanoma, a potentially deadly form of skin cancerdefine, is on the rise in the United States, especially among older men, a study featuring in the January issue of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology reports.

As a part of a conscious debate, wherein, better screening was doubted to be the cause behind the increase in the cancerdefine rate, researchers from the Stanford University in California analyzed data from the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program compiling almost 291 million patient-years of data.

From the data, researchers comprehended an increase of 70,596 fresh cases of melanoma between 1992 and 2004, typically among non-Hispanic whites.

Further analysis highlighted an overall increase in melanoma rates by 3.1 percent a year - from about 74 per 100,000 in 1992 to 126 per 100,000 in 2004. The highest rates and the greatest mean annual increase was reported in white men 65 and older.

The researchers then zeroed in on people of the lower socioeconomic strata – people who are typically devoid of basic health care facilities. A smaller increase in the group would indicate a rise related to better screening and surveillance. Conversely, as the incidence doubled among lower socioeconomic groups the results conveyed a real rise, researchers explained.

"Apparent incidences have risen equally among high- and low-status groups points to a genuine, biological increase in melanoma risk" study’s lead research, Eleni Linos, from the Northern California Cancer Center noted.

Researchers also took into account factors like severity or thickness of the melanoma tumors at time of diagnosis.

During the 13-year study span, the mean annual increase in diagnosis of melanoma tumors lesser than 1 mm thickness was 4.84 percent in men and 4.68 percent in women. Correspondingly, the incidence of tumors thicker than 4 mm was 4.1 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.

"Melanoma rates are still going up, especially among older white men" Linos emphasized. "Corresponding death rates are also going up in that group."

Melanoma is a malignant tumordefine that triggers in the skin cells called melanocytesdefine. It can spread throughout the body, proving potentially lethal.

People can significantly cut their general risk of developing melanoma by decreasing exposure to ultraviolet radiationdefine from the sun.

- Staying indoors during the midday hours (10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.).

- Wear protective clothes like, full sleeves shirt, trousers and a hat while going outdoors.

- Use daily sunscreen with a SPF of 15 and above. It provides protection against both UVA and UVB.

- Avoid sunbathing and tanning salons. Artificial sources of UV rays such as tanning beds and lamps are just as dangerous as prolonged exposure to sun.

- Go in for regular screening. A complete skin examination at last once a year from trained health professionals can help pick up thin tumors. "If you have a very thin tumor when diagnosed, you have a good prognosis” experts assert.