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Melanoma Causes of Melanoma
Nearly a million new cases of skin cancer are reported every year. Of that number, about 42,000 Americans develop melanoma -- a skin cancer that generally begins with a change in the shape, color, or some other feature of a pigmented area of the skin. Melanoma is the most serious and potentially lethal of all skin cancers. Each year more than 7,500 patients die of the disease. The incidence of melanoma is rising more rapidly than the incidence of other solid tumors. Melanoma is the leading cause of cancer death in women ages 25 through 30. Because men and women with melanoma may be relatively young at onset (less than 48 years old), melanoma is one of the most significant causes of lost productivity in the U.S. population. The number of fatal melanomas continues to rise -- especially among older men. Education efforts have increased public awareness of melanoma and of the importance of skin-cancer screening. Earlier diagnosis and surgical treatment have improved the cure rate. Now more than 85 percent of patients with new cases of melanoma can expect to be cured by appropriate surgery. Nonsurgical treatment includes adjuvant therapies -- therapies used in combination -- that help prevent recurrence.
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