Rates of melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer, are rising in Canada. According to a new study led by McGill University, those living in the southern and coastal areas are at greater risk.
Skin melanoma causes more deaths than any other skin cancer, accounting for 1.9% of all cancer deaths in men and 1.2% in women in Canada. Globally, there were 290,000 new cases of this form of skin cancer in 2018. “
Dr. Ivan Litvinov, Adjunct Professor, Department of Medicine, McGill University
In Canada, the maritime provinces of Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia had the highest melanoma incidence rate 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 the prairie provinces and Newfoundland and Labrador had lower rates than Canadian average. “The incidence of melanoma is not uniform across Canada and some pockets in the country are affected much more than others,” says Dr. Litvinov.
Higher skin cancer rate among men and older adults
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% compared to 46%, respectively, with the exception of melanomas which are usually pass to the fingers (acral lentiginous melanoma). “This is possibly due to increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation in nail salons,” says Dr. Litvinov. For men, skin cancer was more common in the trunk and head and neck areas. For women, it was more common in the legs and arms.
Melanoma rates were also higher in people over 60 years of age. “Skin cancer risks increase as you age, probably due to accumulated exposure to ultraviolet radiation from sunlight or other artificial sources. But skin cancers can also be found in younger people. Factors.com genetics, personal history, where you live all play a role in exposure, and melanoma can sometimes occur in a young person in their sixties because of the sunburn they had during adolescence, their twenties and early twenties. thirty, “says Dr. Litvinov.
Mortality rates are declining in Canada
Researchers point out that while melanoma rates are rising, mortality rates are falling for the first time since 2013. This is likely due to new targeted immunotherapy treatments, they say. However, the international landscape remains more uncertain.
“There has been a 44% increase in melanoma rates globally over the years, with a corresponding increase in mortality rates of 32%. Melanoma rates are likely to increase with climate change and thinning of the Earth’s ozone layer, “says Dr. Litvinov.
According to researchers, public education campaigns aimed at people living in high-risk geographic areas are essential to prevent melanoma. These campaigns should also target men and women differently. “We need to encourage women to protect their legs and arms from the sun, while for men sun exposure on the torso, head and neck is the main problem,” says Dr. Litvinov.
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