Skin cancer kills more people than melanoma

2023-10-11 01:15:27

Non-melanoma skin cancer is causing more deaths worldwide than melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, according to a study presented at the Congress of the European Academy of Dermatology Venerology (EADV).

Researchers report that cases of this skin cancer are not reported enough and that the true impact of this disease may be even greater than estimated.

“Although this cancer is less likely to be fatal than melanoma, its prevalence is surprisingly higher. In 2020, it accounted for 78% of all skin cancer cases, causing more than 63,700 deaths. However, melanoma caused about 57,000 deaths in the same year. Therefore, the significantly higher incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer has led to a more substantial overall impact,” he says. Thierry Passeronlead author of the study.

But, Passeron adds, “As alarming as these figures are, they may, in fact, be underestimates.. “Non-melanoma skin cancer is often underreported in cancer registries, making it difficult to understand the true burden.”

In addition to examining the overall burden of skin cancers, researchers identified specific population groups that were at increased risk for this disease, including people who work outdoors, organ transplant recipients, and those with the skin condition. xeroderma pigmentosum (an inherited extreme sensitivity to the sun). condition).

The study, which used data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organizationfound a high incidence of skin cancer in light-skinned and elderly populations in the US, Germany, UK, France, Australia and Italy.

However, even countries with a high proportion of dark phenotypes were not immune to the risk of death from skin cancer, as demonstrated by the 11,281 deaths recorded in Africa.

It can be prevented and treated

In 2020, nearly 1.2 million cases of non-melanoma cancer were reported worldwide compared to 324,635 cases of melanoma.

Most cases of skin cancer are not melanomas, referring to a group of cancers that develop slowly in the upper layers of the skin, with common types including basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Compared to melanoma, a type of skin cancer that develops in melanocytes (cells that produce melanin), non-melanoma cancer is less likely to spread to other parts of the body and can be treated more easily.

Passeron concludes that most skin cancers can be prevented and treated“so we must do more to ensure we stop the progression of this disease as soon as possible to save lives.”