![]() ![]() Emphasize that sun exposure can be risky even when engaging in brief, daily activities such as walking your dog or waiting for the bus.Provide education about risk factors and prevention strategies When crafting materials and messages, always consider the health literacy level of your audience and use plain language. Messages around melanoma and skin cancer prevention should (1) provide education about risk factors and prevention strategies (2) highlight the dangers of indoor tanning and correct misinformation about tanning and pro-tan social norms and (3) emphasize the importance of policy, systems and environmental (PSE) change strategies to reduce the impact of skin cancer and melanoma at the community level. Best Practices for Communicating About Melanoma and Skin Cancer Data from the 2017 National Youth Risk Behavior survey reports that nationwide, 57.2% of high school students reported a sunburn in the previous year (Kann et al., 2018 Holman et al., 2018). According to the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, 4.5% of American high schoolers reported using indoor tanning devices, with White high school-aged female students using indoor tanning the most (CDC, 2019). Risk factors like indoor tanning (which significantly increases lifetime risk of melanoma) pose a significant threat. However, USPSTF recommends counseling individuals ages six to 24 years, including young adults, adolescents, children and parents of young children with fair skin types, about minimizing ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure (USPSTF, 2018).Įarly detection and prevention continue to be proven tools to reduce the burden of melanoma in the United States. Melanoma accounts for the vast majority of skin cancer deaths (American Cancer Society, 2021).Ĭurrent recommendations by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) indicate that the evidence is insufficient to assess the balance of benefits and harms of visual skin examination by a clinician to screen for skin cancer in adults (USPSTF, 2018). For every 100,000 people, 22 new melanoma cases were reported and two people died of this cancer (U.S. In 2018, the latest year for which incidence data is available, 83,996 cases of melanoma were reported and 8,199 people died of this cancer in the United States alone (U.S. The first Monday of May is designated as “Melanoma Monday.” The Friday before Memorial Day is designated as “Don’t Fry Day” to encourage sun safety awareness (National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, 2019). Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month begins on May 1st and ends on May 31st. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States (CDC, 2020). ![]() The goal is to support those affected by melanoma and skin cancer and encourage health-promoting behaviors such as monitoring changes in skin appearance, avoiding indoor tanning and following sun safety practices. Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month is an annual opportunity to raise awareness about melanoma and skin cancer, as well as focus on research into their cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and survivorship. About Melanoma and Skin Cancer Awareness Month ![]()
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