AUSTIN (KXAN) — The American Cancer Society anticipates more than 100,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma in the United States this year, as the National Cancer Institute is tracking upticks in cases nationally.
Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society announced an ominous record: More than two million new cases of cancer were expected to be detected in the U.S., marking the first time that number ever crossed the two million case threshold. While overall cancer death rates have declined, the rate of new cases are rising for six of the 10 most common cancers, per the American Cancer Society:
- Breast cancer
- Prostrate cancer
- Endometrial cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Kidney cancer
- Melanoma
The National Cancer Institute’s latest incident rate report tracked the prevalence of melanoma cases at all stages between 2016 and 2020. It found Utah is the state with the highest rate of new melanoma cases, reporting 40.8 new cases per 100,000 people per year.
Comparatively, Texas had the second lowest rate of new cases, trailing just behind the District of Columbia. The Lone Star State recorded 14.1 new cases per 100,000 people per year, lower than the national average off 22.5 new cases per 100,000 people per year.
What are some of the risks factors for developing melanoma?
One possibility driving case counts is how light or dark a person’s skin color is. The American Cancer Society found people with lighter skin, hair and eye color are at a major risk for melanoma, with the lifetime risk of developing that particular form of skin cancer as follows:
- White people: 1 in 33 people, or 3%
- Black people: 1 in 1,000 people, or 0.1%
- Hispanic, Latino people: 1 in 200 people, or 0.5%
Beyond skin fairness, other risk factors include having elevated exposure to ultraviolet rays, excess skin moles, a weakened immune system from various diseases and medical treatments or having a family or personal history of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer.
How to protect yourself from skin cancer
The American Cancer Society encourages skin safety practices to aid in skin cancer prevention. Ultraviolet rays cause DNA damage, which in turn can lead to skin cancer and skin aging by causing things like wrinkles and other premature distortions.
The national organization recommends people avoid direct sunlight between the peak sun hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Wearing hats, sunglasses and protective clothing can save your skin from UV damage, and people should avoid using tanning beds or lamps.
Sunscreen is also your best friend, with the American Cancer Society recommending a minimum of SPF 30. For those with young children, kids burn more easily. They also need to wear sunscreen and be covered up, and babies under six months old should not be put in direct sunlight.
What are some early signs of melanoma and other skin cancers?
There are three primary kinds of skin cancer, per the Mayo Clinic: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma. Each has its own set of symptoms and early detection signs, but skin cancers primarily develop on sun-exposed skin areas and can affect people of all skin tones.
Basal cell carcinoma early detection signs
This type of skin cancer typically develops on sun-exposed regions of the body, including the neck and face. Symptoms include:
- Pearly or waxy bump
- Flesh-colored or brown, scar-like lesion
- Bleeding/scabbing sore spot that heals and returns again
Squamous cell carcinoma early detection signs
Similar to basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma also primarily targets sun-exposed body areas like the face, ears and hands. The Mayo Clinic cautions that those with darker skin tones who develop squamous cell carcinoma likely will on areas that aren’t typically exposed to the sun.
Symptoms include:
- Firm, red nodule
- Flat lesion with scaly, crusted over surface
Melanoma early detection signs
Unlike the previous two forms of skin cancer, melanoma doesn’t just typically develop on sun-exposed parts of the body. It can develop anywhere, including normal skin or existing moles.
Melanoma impacts people of all skin tones; for those with darker skin tones, it’s often detected on the palms or soles of hands and feet or under fingernails or toenails.
Symptoms include:
- Large, brown-like spot with darker speckles
- Mole that has changed in color, size or feel; includes moles that start to bleed
- Small lesion with “an irregular border and portions that appear red, pink, white, blue or blue-black,” per the Mayo Clinic
- Painful, itchy or burning-like lesions
- Dark lesions on palms, soles, fingertips or toes or on “mucous membranes lining your mouth, nose” or genital areas