Malignant melanoma of the skin - New Jersey
Article Abstract:
The summary of a study is presented that reviewed data on malignant melanoma in residents of New Jersey from 1979 through 1985. Malignant melanoma is a type of skin cancer which, unlike most skin cancers, has a high mortality. All incidence and mortality statistics are age-adjusted and are based on rates per 100,000 people. They do not include rates for black people, which are very low for this type of cancer. In the years covered, 381 males and 324 females were diagnosed with malignant melanoma each year, and an average of 111 males and 79 females died annually from this disease. The incidence in New Jersey was highest for men, at 11.9, which exceeded the national incidence of 10.9. For women, the incidence was 8.5, compared with the national average of 8.8. Mortality was higher for men (3.4) than for women (1.6), and was higher than the national average for both sexes (3.0 for men, 1.6 for women). The locations of this skin in order of frequency were as follows: men had melanoma on the trunk, arm and shoulder, face, leg and hip, and scalp and neck; in women, the melanoma was found on the leg and hip, arm and shoulder, trunk, face, and scalp and neck. The New Jersey State Health Department plans to warn residents of the dangers of excessive sun exposure, which is known to be associated with the development of malignant melanoma. In the US, incidence rates for this cancer have risen faster since the 1970s than any other cancer except lung cancer. Mortality for white males also increased dramatically. In 1989, approximately 27,000 new cases of malignant melanoma will occur in the US, and 6,000 people will die. Guidelines issued by the National Institutes of Health advise people to minimize their sun exposure between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.; to wear protective clothing and a hat; to use a sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15; and to be aware if any medications currently taken increase sensitivity to ultraviolet light. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1990
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Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen Use and the Development of New Nevi in White Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Article Abstract:
Sunscreens with a high sun protection factor (SPF) may reduce the number of nevi formed on children's skin. Nevi is the plural of nevus, which is the medical term for a mole. Fewer nevi in turn may reduce the risk of melanoma. Doctors randomly assigned 458 schoolchildren to use a SPF 30 sunscreen whenever they went out or to use no sunscreen outdoors. Three years later, the children who used sunscreen developed fewer nevi than children who did not. The effect was most striking in children with freckles, who developed 30% to 40% fewer nevi if they used sunscreen.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 2000
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Clinically recognized dysplastic nevi: a central risk factor for cutaneous melanoma
Article Abstract:
The presence of dysplastic nevi on the skin may increase the risk of melanoma. Dysplastic nevi are large moles with an irregular border and pigment irregularities. Researchers compared the number and type of moles between 716 patients with melanoma and 1,014 people with no history of melanoma. Ten or more dysplastic nevi increased the risk of melanoma by a factor of 12. Even the presence of small, normal moles increased the risk of melanoma 2-fold. One dysplastic mole also doubled the risk of melanoma.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1997
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