"The groundwork of all happiness is health." - Leigh Hunt

Most Americans don’t get adequate skin cancer screening

June 13, 2023 – Most adults haven’t had their skin examined in at the very least a 12 months, though skin cancer is probably the most common cancer diagnosis and the simplest to stop. Cancer Prevention Foundation says.

According to a latest survey by the organization, seven in 10 Americans over 21 haven’t examined their skin in at the very least a 12 months – and nearly one in 4 have never had a skin examination.

“This is an opportunity for us to detect the disease early, and we know that melanoma can be fatal if detected too late,” said Dr. Janie Leonhart, a dermatologist. INPUT News from Seattle.

Doctors recommend examining the skin for suspicious moles using the ABCDE method, taking note of the next:

  • asymmetry
  • Border irregularities
  • Color that will not be uniform
  • Diameter greater than 6 millimeters
  • Development, size, shape or color

“The E is really important,” Leonhart said. “E stands for development, for something that appears that doesn't belong here, or for a place that you know was there because you've observed it, but that changes or evolves.”

Skin cancer is probably the most common variety of cancer in humans. In 2022, roughly 100,000 people within the United States are expected to be diagnosed with one in every of the next: Illness. About 7,650 persons are expected to die.

Most adult Americans are also at the very least a 12 months behind on at the very least one cancer screening, the inspiration said in a Press release“Survey respondents cited the main reasons for not getting screening as being out of date, not knowing they need to get screened (39%), not having symptoms (37%) and not being able to afford the cost (31%).”

Jody Hoyos, CEO of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, said education results in more cancer screenings, not only for skin cancer.

“Routine checkups should be part of your wellness routine, just like eating healthy, exercising and taking care of your mental health,” Hoyos said.