Indoor tanning declines, but more melanoma prevention efforts urgently needed

Source: healio.com/hematology-oncology,July 2015

Melanoma rates in the United States doubled between 1982 and 2011, according to a CDC report.

“The sobering news is that, in 2011, there were more than 65,000 cases of melanoma, and more than 9,000 people die from melanoma every year,” Gery P. Guy Jr., PhD, MPH,  health economist in the CDC’s Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, told HemOnc Today.

At its current pace, incidence of melanoma — the most deadly form of skin cancer in the United States — will continue to increase over the next 15 years, peaking at an estimated 112,000 new cases in 2030, the CDC projects.

This trend comes with a staggering price tag, as the annual cost of treating melanoma is expected to triple from $457 million in 2011 to $1.6 billion in 2030, Guy said.

However, there are some reasons for cautious optimism.

Widespread use of indoor tanning — considered by many experts to be a key contributor to skyrocketing melanoma incidence, particularly among women — declined during a recent 3-year period.

In addition, an estimated 230,000 melanoma diagnoses — or 20% of all new cases — projected to occur between 2020 and 2030 could be prevented through comprehensive skin cancer prevention programs, according to the CDC.

HemOnc Today spoke with experts about the factors that have led to increased incidence of melanoma, the efforts to reduce indoor tanning, and the urgent need for additional skin cancer prevention and education programs.