Rising Younger Demographic Skin Cancer Incidence
Skin cancer is a disease that can affect anybody. Irrespective of race, age, and lifestyle, as many as one in five Americans are expected to be diagnosed with the disease within their lifetime. However, some frightening new statistics show an increased risk of skin cancer in youthful people. A study was conducted in Minnesota that involved 417 male and female subjects that were under age 40 and residents of Minnesota .
All of the study subjects were diagnosed with some form of skin cancer between the years of 1976 and 2003. By studying the diagnoses of these subjects, researchers found a terrible correlation regarding a greater incidence of the two forms of non-melanoma skin cancer in younger people. In the 27 years for which the data was gauged, the researchers found that the rates of basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma in the study subjects increased a whopping 200 percent!
Common Sites of Skin Cancer
The most common sites of these skin cancers were the subjects’ face, head, neck, and torso, and they occurred most often in people with fair skin and light red or blonde hair. Many studies that have been conducted thus far regarding skin cancer have targeted the older members of the population due to the belief that rates of skin cancer increased with age. This new data, however, shows that the rates of skin cancer are increasing across the board.
Causes of Increasing Skin Cancer in Youths
What could be causing the increases in skin cancer in those that are youthful? There are a few theories that have been put forth by researchers.
Indoor Training
The main belief is that an increase in indoor tanning has led to the growth of the epidemic. As appearance is pushed on the youth of our society more and more, the pressure to be tan grows and many resort to harming their bodies via regular visits to the tanning salon.
Depletion of the Ozone Layer
Another cause that was noted by the researchers in the study is the possibility that the depletion of the o-zone layer may be responsible for the increase. The layer of gas in or atmosphere helps to block some of the sun’s more harmful rays, allowing for less ultraviolet radiation reaching our planet’s surface.
Unfortunately, current estimates put the depletion of our o-zone layer at roughly 30 percent. As long as the o-zone layer decreases, our chances of getting skin cancer will probably grow. One more factor that may have contributed to the rise in the incidence of skin cancer cases in those of youth is a lack of knowledge. Increased public awareness of the disease may be helpful in curbing the problem in the future.
Many tips were offered by the researchers conducting the study regarding lowering your risk of skin cancer. They include:
- Stay out of the sun during the most UV-intense parts of the day. The time of day that is most dangerous to be in the sun is from 11AM to 3PM, and simply avoiding outdoor activities during this period of time can do wonders when it comes to helping decrease your risk.
- When you’re outdoors, wear a hat and sunglasses to help guard your face from the intensity of ultraviolet radiation.
- Make sure that you use sunscreen that is of SPF 15 or higher. Also, be sure to keep re-applying the sunscreen and be sure to not spread it too thin.