Skin Cancer-Index

Source: Derma.plus, July 2016

Skin cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide. However, if detected early, it can be one of the easiest to cure. With this in mind, Derma.plus developed the following study to better understand the geographical and geopolitical factors which make skin cancer incidences more common, and sometimes deadly, in certain regions over others.

The study is divided into two sections: first, the Skin Cancer Susceptibility Index analyses the UV factor, the skin-tone by demographic percentages and rate of incidences from a range of countries to identify geographically where the highest rates of skin cancer are most likely to occur. Secondly, the Socioeconomic Treatment Index cross references national health spending and individual income against mortality rates to better understand the efforts undertaken worldwide to combat the disease.

“The incidence of both non-melanoma and melanoma skin cancers has increased dramatically over the past decades,” states Prof. Dietrick Abeck, Chief Medical Advisor for Derma.plus. “Worldwide, more than 3-million non-melanoma skin cancers and 150,000 melanoma skin cancers are diagnosed each year. One in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer.”