Skin Cancer Awareness Month
They also evaluated that there was a pattern found among the affected patients. It was common among people who were fair-skinned or with a light complexion. Also, people whose place of habitat included a large amount of natural light exposure or they often tanning beds. Hence the highest number of cases were from New Zealand and Australia, followed by the USA with the highest number of non-melanoma cancers.
The month of the year when public health awareness is organized on Skin Cancer and Melanoma.
What is Skin Cancer Awareness Month?
The awareness campaign organized by the United States government to draw people's attention to the possibility of skin cancer, Melanoma, developing is known as Skin Cancer Awareness month.
In the United States, skin cancer is the most prevailed form of cancer caused due to both genetic and environmental conditions. Statistically, over 3 million people are diagnosed every year with this particular cancer, where only 90% of early diagnoses of Melanoma (they are more severe than others) are preventable.
Subsequently, it is calculated that one person dies from Melanoma every half-hour. Hence, May month is dedicated by the American government as the Skin Cancer and Melanoma Awareness month to remind people to get their suspicious or regular skin check-ups.
Melanoma is one of the types of skin types among the three. The other two non-melanoma cancers are Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
Basal Cell Carcinoma
In this type, the cancer cell develops in the basal cell within the skin, which is after the squamous layer and above the deep melanocyte layer. This type is the least threatening among the other forms as it generally does not spread to different layers. Instead, they appear as small red bumps on the parts of the skin.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma
The Squamous layer is the superficial layer of the skin, which is above all the layers. Cancer developing on this layer appears as a red scaly patch or bump that can also just be a red patch or bump. The affected areas are commonly the face, lips, ears, and mouth, but not limited to them. It is more severe than basal cell carcinoma as this cancer can also metastasize or spread to other parts.
Malignant Melanoma
This is the most severe form of skin cancer that develops from the skin's melanocyte layer. Melanocyte is that part of skin built where melanin is produced. Hence when this cancer occurs, the color of the affected area changes.
Commonly, it appears near or around moles, seems like a bruise, or even shows its nature on nails as a streak of dark pigmentation. This is the most severe form of cancer, which can spread to other layers of skin or other parts of the body.
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Melanoma Awareness Month
May is also Melanoma Awareness month because of the severity and lack of prompt symptoms of this type. The cancer institute of the USA has reported that nearly 106,110 people get affected, and in 2020, 7,180 affected will die of the disease. While International Agency for Research on Cancer said that in 2020 there were 57,000 deaths alongside 325,000 diagnoses of Melanoma.
They also evaluated that there was a pattern found among the affected patients. It was common among people who were fair-skinned or with a light complexion. Also, people whose place of habitat included a large amount of natural light exposure or they often tanning beds. Hence the highest number of cases were from New Zealand and Australia, followed by the USA with the highest number of non-melanoma cancers.
In addition, the International Agency also concluded that one among 20 men and one among 30 women are affected by skin cancer below the age of 75. This is why dermatologists highly recommend sunscreen creams to people who are in danger of developing this cancer.
How to check if you have Skin cancer or Melanoma?
Among many options to check if the skin cancer has been developed, Dr. Tara L. Huston, MD, Associate Professor of Surgery and Dermatology of Stony Brook Medicine, recommended the following steps,
"ABCDE is the key. This applies to new or changing moles. A is for asymmetry; B is for irregular borders; C is for color variation; D is for a diameter greater than 6 millimeters (about the size of a pencil eraser); and E is for evolution or any change in a mole, including itching or bleeding. Any new lesion that bleeds or scabs and does not go away over four weeks should be brought to your physician's attention."
Awareness Month 2022
According to the recent survey published by News Wise in 2022, Americans have started to comprehend the need for sunscreen lotion in their daily life. However, the study also reviewed that the terms and proper use of the product have not been adopted in order to control the chances of skin cancer.
Furthermore, the Skin Cancer Foundation opened the 2022 Skin Cancer Awareness month with an organized mobile educational, screening, and testing RV in Fairfield, Connecticut. The initiative incorporated the need to save lives by educating the public about the importance of early identification of skin cancer and how to avoid the illness through sun protection.
The foundation is also assisted by dermatologists who volunteered to take charge of the mobile testing in private exam rooms at the RV. Therefore, the aim was to give the visitors information on skin cancer warning signs and adequate sun protection and product samples from program sponsors like CVS Pharmacy, EltaMD, DSM, Coolibar, EMD Serono, and Pfizer, among others.
Followed by that, the CHI Health Center in Nebraska is conducting free-of-cost cancer screenings for the month of May. The clinic will also focus on the treatment and prevention of cancer, followed by an awareness of the proper use of UVA and UVB protection, abolishment of tanning options, and other medical recommendations.
