|
E-mail this page to a friend!
Senior Citizen Health & Medicine
Skin Cancer Most Likely to Strike Wealthy Old Men
Top three skin cancers increase with age; but
malignant melanomas decrease as men pass 75, says Northern Ireland study
June 11, 2007 - Skin cancer levels have shown a
significant increase in Northern Ireland since the early 1990s and are
more likely to affect men, older people and those living in more
affluent areas, according to a large study just published in the June issue of
British Journal of Dermatology.
Researchers, who looked at official cancer
statistics for nearly 23,000 patients over a 12-year period, reported a
20 per cent increase in patients and a 62 per cent increase in skin
cancer samples processed by pathology laboratories.
The figures also showed that the three most common
skin cancers - basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and
malignant melanoma - accounted for 27 per cent of all male cancers and
26 per cent of all female cancers.
“These findings show that many patients will have
more than one skin cancer, highlighting the need to analyze both patient
numbers and sample numbers to provide an accurate picture of cancer
levels” says co-author Dr Susannah Hoey from the Dermatology Department
at the Royal Victoria Hospital, part of the Belfast Health and Social
Care Trust.
“The three skin cancers we looked at all increased
with age, with the exception of malignant melanomas, which showed a
decrease in men aged 75 and over.
“And there was a link between more patients living
in wealthier areas and increased levels of malignant melanomas and basal
cell carcinomas.”
The team looked at data collected by the Northern
Ireland Cancer Registry, at Queen’s University Belfast, from 1993 to
2004, analyzing the records of patients diagnosed with the three most
common skin cancers.
They found that men were 30 per cent more likely to
suffer from basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer,
which affected some 1,444 people a year in Northern Ireland during the
study period and accounted for 17 per cent of all reported cancers.
And men were twice as likely to suffer from
squamous cell carcinoma as women, accounting for 357 of the 640 cases
reported each year.
Women were, however, 30 per cent more likely than
men to suffer from malignant melanoma - the least common, but most
serious skin cancer - which averages 186 cases a year.
Being well-off was a disadvantage when it came to
skin cancer.
Women living in affluent areas were 29 per cent
more likely than people living in disadvantaged areas to suffer from
basal cell carcinoma and nearly two and a half times more likely to
suffer from malignant melanoma.
Men displayed a similar pattern. They were 41 per
cent more likely to suffer from basal cell carcinoma if they lived in an
affluent area and two and a half times more likely to suffer from
malignant melanoma.
| |
About Skin Cancer |
|
| |
Skin cancer is the most common form of
cancer in the United States. The two most common types
are basal cell cancer and squamous cell cancer. They
usually form on the head, face, neck, hands and arms.
Another type of skin cancer,
melanoma, is more dangerous but less common.
Anyone can get skin cancer, but it is
more common in people who
>> Spend a lot of time in the
sun or have been sunburned
>>Have light-colored skin, hair and eyes
>> Have a family member with skin cancer
>> Are over age 50
Click to more at MedlinePlus
|
|
Affluence did not, however, seem to affect squamous
cell carcinoma.
Malignant melanomas showed the greatest increase
over the 12-year study period, with a 48 per cent rise in patients and a
71 per cent rise in samples. Squamous cell caricoma patients rose by 28
per cent, with a 57 per cent rise in samples, and basal cell carcinoma
patients rose by 13 per cent, with a 62 per cent rise in samples.
“The majority of the people who live in Northern
Ireland have fair skin and the 2001 census revealed that less than one
per cent of the population belongs to a black or minority ethnic group”
adds co-author Dr Olivia Dolan, consultant dermatologist at the Royal
Victoria Hospital.
“This means that our results are less likely to be
affected by different skin tones and ethnic origin than research carried
out in countries with a greater ethnic mix.”
The authors point out that the general increase in
incidences of skin cancer, coupled with ageing populations, will place
greater demands on dermatology and other related specialties over the
coming years.
“The number of people aged 60 and over is set to
rise by more than a half by 2030 and 80 per cent of all skin cancers
occur in this age group” says Dr Dolan.
“It is important that we plan ahead so that we are
able to care for patients with skin cancer without compromising other
chronic dermatological diseases.”
The authors – from the Dermatology Department at
the Royal Victoria Hospital and Queen’s University Belfast - say that
their research reinforces the need for anyone exposed to the sun to take
sensible precautions, whether they are at home or on holiday.
“Although our research highlights that some section
of society face greater risks than others, the safe sun message is one
that we all need to heed if we are to halt rising skin cancer rates”
concludes Dr Hoey.
Editor’s Notes:
Reference: Skin cancer trends in Northern Ireland
and consequences for provision of dermatology services. Hoey et al.
British Journal of Dermatology. 156, pp1301-1307. June 2007.
British Journal of Dermatology is published
monthly on behalf of the British Association of Dermatologists by
Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Edited by Dr John English, the journal
publishes peer-reviewed papers on both clinical and experimental
research in dermatology.
www.blackwellpublishing.com/bjd
Blackwell Publishing is the world’s leading
society publisher, partnering with 665 medical, academic, and
professional societies. Blackwell publishes over 800 journals and has
over 6,000 books in print. The company employs over 1,000 staff members
in offices in the US, UK, Australia, China, Singapore, Denmark, Germany
and Japan and officially merged with John Wiley & Sons, Inc's
Scientific, Technical and Medical business in February 2007. For more
information on Blackwell Publishing, please visit
www.blackwellpublishing.com or
www.blackwell-synergy.com.
Click to More Senior News on the
Front Page
Copyright: SeniorJournal.com |
