Skin Cancer is on the rise and we are finding that more young people are being diagnosed than ever. What most people don’t realize is that Skin Cancer is highly preventable.The Miami Dermatology Center has Gathered The top 10 facts about skin cancer you should be aware of.
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Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. More than 3.5 million cases are diagnosed annually One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
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Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common form of skin cancer; an estimated 2.8 million BCCs are diagnosed annually. BCCs are rarely fatal, but can be highly disfiguring.
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Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most common form of skin cancer. An estimated 700,000 cases are diagnosed each year, resulting in approximately 2,500 deaths.
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About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.
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Up to 90 percent of the visible changes commonly attributed to aging are caused by the sun.
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Contrary to popular belief, 80 percent of a person’s lifetime sun exposure is not acquired before age 18; only about 23 percent of lifetime exposure occurs by age 18.
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Mohs surgery is the best way to treat skin cancers in high risk areas, such as the nose, ears, and eyelids.
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Mohs surgery should be performed by a dermatologist who is fellowship trained by the American College of Mohs surgeon.
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Skin cancers can also be treated by excision, curettage, radiation, aldara, photodynamic therapy.
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The cure rate varies depending on the treatment used. Mohs surgery has the best cure rates-99% for primary lesions, excisions have 90% cure rates.
