as stated earlier in the essay, the incidence of people treated for skin cancer compared to the

     Distinguishing melanoma may seem hard to do, but is not so once a person is informed on what they should be looking for. They may appear similar to moles, and may be blue or black in color. Though they will usually lack the symmetry and border regularity of a common mole, and may have variance in their coloring. Melanomas can either appear suddenly, or develop slowly near a preexisting mole. In rare cases, melanomas may form on top of previously formed moles or birthmarks, but will also come with the effects of pain, itching, or bleeding. These moles may begin to exhibit new and/or strange characteristics such as

Any type of change size, color, or shape of a mole is an important warning sign. For weeks or months, watch the changes that occur. The ABCDE rule is a helpful rule to estimate skin changes. A is asymmetry. If one half of a mole does not match the other have there is no symmetry. B is border irregularity. Jagged, uneven, or blurred edges of a mole should catch your attention. C is color. Changes in the mole color, particularly from the edge of the mole to the middle. D is for the diameter. If the mole is larger than 6mm the mole should be of concern. E is evolution. Changes in the surface size and shape, as well as itching or tenderness should be observed. Often time’s melanoma is developed in unmarked skin, but can also develop in existing moles or birthmarks (“Melanoma and Skin Cancer Symptoms”). Skin examinations should be an often routine provided by a doctor. Any notice of suspicious signs, see a health care provider as quick as possible. Examinations by a dermatologist are a potential way to see if you have developed skin cancer. If during the examination skin cancer is suspected a biopsy will probably be the next process (Knight).

Over the last several years, the total number of skin cancer (melanoma) cases in Australia has been rising dramatically. Evidence of this can be seen with statistics provided by the Cancer Council of Australia. They determined that melanoma is most common form of cancer for individuals between the ages of 15 and 44 years of age. To make matters worse over 1 million people are screened for this disease every single year. This is illustrating how some kind of increased protection is required to protect consumers against the sun's ultra violet rays. ("Skin Cancer Facts and Figures," 2012)

Unlike other cancers which we can develop, melanoma can often be detected on the skin which allows doctors to treat it at its early stages resulting in less complications and lower death rates to patients, again if left undetected at its early stages this can easily spread to distant areas and distant organs. Once melanoma has spread to other areas of the body which is classified as stage IV it is diagnosed as

The National Skin Cancer Awareness Program represents the new public health approach. This is because it has been created to prevent and reduce the incidence of skin cancer among teenagers and young adults. It takes into account the social determinants that influence a person’s health. For example, due to the sun’s very strong UV rays, Australia is a very hot country and

tanning promises and creates a beautiful tan in only a few sessions. The result from this tan is dark and clear skin that makes a person feel and look better. No wonder this craze is so popular. Who wouldn’t want to look like they just came back from the Caribbean with beautiful skin? I mean having tan skin does make a person look better right? This question is obviously a personal opinion, but this new habit of tanning indoors has become a growing concern. There are many long term effects to indoor tanning that are harmful to a person. But most people do not understand this because the short-term effects are the most satisfying.

As many as ninety percent of melanomas are estimated to be caused ultra violet (UV) exposure. This includes UV exposure from artificial sources, such as tanning beds. “Strong evidence now links tanning beds to melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer that afflicts nearly 69,000 Americans a year.”—USA Today. The more one tans and the younger one is your risk for melanoma increases. However, melanoma is increasing faster in women 15-29 years old, than in men the same age. Furthermore, 10,000 people die from melanoma. This is mainly caused because of tanning beds. As a matter of fact, a person dies every fifty minutes from melanoma, the second most common cancer. Tanning beds triple the risk of one getting melanoma. In fact, every time one goes and tans, the risk gets higher and higher. Following this further, more people get melanoma because of tanning beds than developing lung cancer because of

However, this is an argument about the structure of the U.S Healthcare System, rather than causation of skin cancer. Furthermore, Lee stresses that dermatologists use tanning beds to treat patients who suffer from psoriasis, a process referred to as phototherapy, which posed a conflict to my beliefs. This claim did make me question the validity of the link between tanning beds and skin cancer. However, when Lee suggested that dermatologists are monopolizing the tanning industry, he provided evidence that suggested dermatologists have been drastically decreasing their use of phototherapy. As a result, I believe that increased awareness has led most dermatologists to look for new and improved treatments for patients suffering from

In fact, “People who have ever used a tanning bed have a sixty-seven percent increased risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma and a twenty-nine percent increased risk of developing basal cell carcinoma. People who first use a tanning bed before age thirty-five increase their risk of melanoma by seventy-five percent” (Silecchia). In the past, melanoma mostly affected people in their fifties or older, but today, dermatologists see patients in their twenties and even late teens with this type of cancer. Experts believe this is caused by an increase in radiation from the use of tanning beds. A sunburn or intense sun exposure may also increase a person's chances of developing this deadly cancer. Being in the sun is inevitable, but people can still protect their skin from many forms of skin cancer by doing the simplest things such as applying sunscreen.

According to International Agency for Research on Cancer’s (2007) systematic review about sunbeds and melanoma cancer worldwide, “First exposure to sunbeds before 35 years of age significantly increased the risk of melanoma” (1116). Further research strengthens the link between tanning beds and melanoma. Lazovich et al. (2010) studied the diagnosed cases of melanoma in the state of Minnesota between 2004-2007. The age group they studied was 25-59, and asked the study participants about their tanning bed practices (1557). They found out that the odds ratio “for the likelihood of melanoma in relation to having ever tanned indoors was 1.74…Melanoma risk increased markedly with frequency of use” (Lazovich et al., 2010, 1564).

Illness has always been with humankind since the beginning of time. One of such illnesses that was not named until just recently in history was cancer. Cancer was found to be with mankind from as far back as ancient Egypt, and as of today, now affects people worldwide. There are approximately 5 million people who are treated for skin cancer every year. While there are many reasons as to the ways that skin cancer arises in a person, one of such reasons is the common occurrence of spending time inside a tanning booth. The health risks, consequences, and long term effects of going into a tanning booth can not only affect the duration of that person’s life, but also the quality of living it. Increased users of tanning booths have shown serious health risks, from more diagnoses of skin cancer to

While it is very imperative to begin by protecting small children from the suns damage, efforts to prevent skin cancer must continue on into the teenage years. One of the most popular ways to catch a tan as a teen is by indoor tanning. The Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) reported that “nearly 1 out of every 3 white high school girl used an indoor tanning device such as a tanning bed, tanning booth, or sun lamp” (“Reducing Indoor Tanning”, n.d.). This significantly increases the risk of skin cancer. This publication, by the DCPC, offers facts on the potential consequences of indoor tanning for minors and ways to lower the use of tanning indoors for minors in the community.

Imagine going to a tanning salon and asking information on the safety of indoor tanning. The employees tell you that it is safe, in fact, they encourage the use, saying it is good for you. Imagine six months later going to your doctor for a checkup and having your doctor tell you he is concerned about something you thought was a beauty mark. You come to find that you have malignant melanoma, a deadly form of skin cancer at the age of 27. After doing some research it was obvious that going to this tanning salon was the cause. You have just taken a glimpse into the life of Lisa Whitehead who shared her story to prevent something like this from happening to others. This essay will analyze issues related to Indoor Tanning. It will employ the

Melanomas can develop anywhere on the skin, but they are more likely to start on the chest and back in men and on the legs in women. The neck and face are other common sites.

Australians with lower health literacy tend to have less of an idea about the risk factors of skin cancer and how to preventative measures. Labourers and other people who work in the sun for a living have a high risk of skin cancer. Some people can afford