Skin
Cancer
A Major Public Health Problem
By Michelle Thomason
“Skin Cancer.” Nearly everyone’s heard the term, but many
simply brush it off as something that doesn’t apply to them,
isn’t that serious, or just won’t become a real concern in their
lifetime. Tuesday morning however, the Surgeon General issued
a Call to Action to Prevent Skin Cancer, and quite a few heads
turned! The Call to Action touches on nearly every aspect of skin
cancer and sun safety that our sun protection apparel company,
UV Skinz, has been preaching for years, but we are simply
thrilled this serious issue is finally starting to get the attention it
NEEDS. Skin cancer warnings go in one ear and out the other for
many, but with the Surgeon General’s new Call to Action making
headlines, we’re hoping awareness has finally begun to sink in
and more action will be made to prevent skin cancer.
Here are a few key points we wanted to pull from the report and
really emphasize:
• Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the
United States, and most cases are preventable.
Did you know that as many as 90% of melanomas (the
deadliest form of skin cancer) are estimated to be
caused by UV exposure? That is a scary-high number…
but if we look at this figure from a positive standpoint,
it suggests that 90% of melanomas can be prevented by
reducing intentional UV exposure (and increasing sun
protection!).
• Medical treatment for skin cancer creates substantial
health care costs for individuals, families, and the nation.
The estimated costs for skin cancer treatments are currently 8.1 BILLION. That’s money that could be used
towards more enjoyable and productive things, like
education, travel, home improvements, recreational
activi Y\