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Skin Cancer Awareness Month officially falls in May. But staying alert year-round is essential, emphasizes skin cancer specialist Dr. Richard Torbeck of Advanced Dermatology PC: “Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world, he notes, and with cases still on the rise, we need to do more.” New York, NY, March 2019 – Skin Cancer Awareness Month officially falls in May. But staying alert year-round is essential, emphasizes skin cancer specialist Dr. Richard Torbeck of Advanced Dermatology PC: “Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the world, he notes, and with cases still on the rise, we need to do more.”According to the nonprofit Skin Cancer Foundation, in the United States more people are diagnosed with skin cancer than all others combined: One out of five are expected to develop the disease by age 70.
“From 1994 to 2014, we saw a 77 percent jump in non-melanoma skin cancers,” observes Dr. Torbeck. “In terms of invasive melanomas – the deadliest form of skin cancer – from 2008 to 2019, annual diagnoses jumped 54 percent. Moreover, there is also an increase in thin melanomas particularly in younger women.”
Prevention – in particular limiting sun exposure – could put a significant dent into such casualties.
The Skin Cancer Foundation states that 90 percent of non-melanomas – including the more common basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas – are linked to the sun’s rays. For melanomas, 95 percent are related to UV exposure, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. “The World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer lists the sun’s radiation as a ‘Group 1’ cancer agent – alongside plutonium and cigarettes,” notes Dr. Torbeck. “If we can block those rays, we can help prevent skin cancer.”
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“As we support cancer patients and search for cures,” concludes Dr. Torbeck, “let’s also make sure we’re taking steps to protect ourselves from the most common form of the disease.”
Advanced Dermatology P.C. and the Center for Laser and Cosmetic Surgery (New York & New Jersey) is one of the leading dermatology centers in the nation, offering highly experienced physicians in the fields of cosmetic and laser dermatology as well as plastic surgery and state-of-the-art medical technologies. advanceddermatologypc.com.
Richard Torbeck, MD, is a board-certified and fellowship-trained dermatologist specializing in Mohs micrographic surgery for skin cancer and cosmetic dermatology at Advanced Dermatology P.C.