CDC : Melanoma skin cancer has costly, deadly impact on America

More than 45,000 cases of melanoma occurred in 45 states and the District of Columbia in the United States each year during 2004-2006, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Wednesday in the most comprehensive melanoma report released in the U.S. to date. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States. Melanoma is the third most common skin cancer, but is more dangerous and more likely to cause death than other skin cancers, causing 8,000 U.S. deaths and costing billions of dollars each year, according to the report, "Melanoma Surveillance in the United States." "Melanoma is a devastating disease that takes an economic toll on individuals, their families, and society in terms of premature death and lost productivity," said Marcus Plescia, director of CDC 's Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, in a statement. "New policies and prevention strategies are needed to address the leading preventable causes of melanoma, enabling people to be healthier, live longer, and continue to be productive." Melanoma involves cells called melanocytes, which produce a skin pigment called melanin responsible for skin and hair color. Melanoma can spread very rapidly. Although it is less common than other types of skin cancer, the rate of melanoma is steadily increasing. It is important to find and treat melanoma and any other form of skin cancer early. If left untreated, they can grow quite large and invade nearby tissues, causing scarring, disfigurement, and loss of function in some parts of the body and, in some cases, death. The CDC recommends that people take steps to protect themselves from skin cancer by: seeking shade, especially during midday hours; wearing clothing to protect exposed skin; wearing a hat with a wide brim to shade the face, head, ears, and neck; wearing sunglasses that wrap around and block as close to 100 percent of both ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays as possible; using sunscreen with sun protective factor 15 or higher, and both UVA and UVB protection; avoiding indoor tanning.