Early Detection of Skin Cancers between Ages 18-40 Crucial

Early Detection of Skin Cancers between Ages 18-40 Crucial

Despite a report from the American Cancer Society that the death rate from cancers in general has fallen 20 percent from its peak in 1991, skin cancers remain alarmingly on the upswing—especially among adults under 40. According to a recent study by the Mayo Clinic, young women are the most susceptible, particularly when it comes to melanoma. In fact, melanoma increased eightfold among young women between 1970 and 2009 and fourfold among men between the ages of 18 to 39.

What’s behind this epithelial epidemic in members of the fair sex? Is it simply that they have fairer skin? Not at all—the reasons are more behavioral than genetic. Several research reports have indicated that people who frequently use indoor tanning beds are considerably more likely to develop melanoma, and young women are more likely to use them than young men.

The good news, however, is that the majority of melanomas—even though they are the most pervasive form of skin cancer—have excellent survival rates when caught in time. Perhaps even better is that they can also now be detected noninvasively, without any permanent scarring as with some biopsies, and without having to wait days or weeks to get the results back.