Skin melanoma causes more deaths than any other skin cancer, accounting for 1.9 percent of all cancer deaths in men and 1.2 percent in women in Canada. “Globally, there were 290,000 new cases of this form of skin cancer in 2018.” Dr. Ivan Litvinov, Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, McGill University In Canada, the shipping counties of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia had the highest rates of melanoma in the country, even after adjusting for other factors such as age. Rates in New Brunswick, Ontario and British Columbia were also high but comparable to the national average of 20.75 cases per 100,000 people per year, while prairie counties and Newfoundland and Labrador had lower rates than the Canadian average. condition. “The incidence of melanoma is not uniform across Canada and there are some parts of the country that are affected much more than others,” says Dr. Litvinov.
The rate of skin cancer is higher among men and the elderly
The researchers published their findings in the journal Frontiers in Medicine and found that the incidence of melanoma was higher in men than in women – about 54 percent versus 46 percent, with the exception of melanoma, which is more common on the fingers. “This is probably due to the higher exposure to ultraviolet radiation at nail institutes,” says Dr. Litvinov. For men, skin cancer was more common in the trunk and areas of the head and neck. For women, it was more common on the legs and arms. Melanoma rates were also higher in people over the age of 60. “The risks of skin cancer increase as you age, most likely due to accumulated exposure to ultraviolet light from sunlight or other artificial sources. But skin cancers can also be found in younger people. Factors such as genetics, personal history, where “Sometimes you play the risk of exposure. Sometimes melanoma can occur in a sixty-year-old due to sunburn he had in adolescence, in his twenties and thirties,” says Dr. Litvinov.
Mortality rates are falling in Canada
The researchers note that although melanoma rates are rising, mortality rates are falling for the first time since 2013. This is most likely due to new, targeted immunotherapy treatments, they say. However, the international picture remains more uncertain. “Worldwide, there has been a 44 percent increase in melanoma rates over the years, with a corresponding increase in mortality rates of 32 percent. Melanoma rates are likely to increase with climate change and the thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer,” he said. Dr. Litvinov. According to the researchers, public education campaigns targeting people living in high-risk geographical areas are necessary to prevent melanoma. These campaigns should also target men and women differently. “We need to encourage women to protect their feet and hands from the sun, while for men sun exposure on the torso, head and neck is the main problem,” says Dr. Litvinov. Source: Magazine report: Conte, S., et al. (2022) A population-based study detailing the incidence and mortality of cutaneous melanoma in Canada. Frontiers in Medicine. doi.org/10.3389/fmed.2022.830254.
