HEALTH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

HEALTH - Essay Example By avoiding excessive exposure to UV radiation, such as unnecessary time beneath a tanning lamp or under the sun, many individuals can decrease their risk of developing this deadly form of cancer. Melanoma is a common form of cancer primarily due to the fact that many individuals do not realize that they are being exposed to too much ultraviolet radiation. Those who are at risk for developing melanoma believe that they are not getting too much sun, or that they are wearing the appropriate amount of clothing of sunblock to protect themselves. Essentially, it is a lack of information about melanoma that causes individuals to become reckless and exposed to the causes of this form of cancer. Furthermore, since melanoma often makes itself known through the discoloration of skin or the presence of moles, signs that people tend to ignore or else assume are typical to sun exposure, the warning signs go ignored until it is too late and the cancer has spread. In the United States alone, 76,250 individuals have been or will be diagnosed with melanoma during 2012; 44,250 will be men and 32,000 women (ACS, 2012). Of these numbers, it is estimated that over nine thousand are expected to die from their disease (ACS, 2012). These rates continue to rise each year, having been on a steady incline for the past thirty years. The state that has the highest rate of skin cancer is Oregon, though it is followed rather closely by Washington, Idaho, Utah, New Hampshire, and Vermont, with each state having an average of 2.3 million cases of skin cancer each year (CDC, 2012). As previously mentioned, there is no definite cause of melanoma, though numerous risk factors have been determined. Individuals with fairer skin, and therefore less pigment to protect them from ultraviolet damage, are more likely to develop melanoma than someone with a darker complexion. Excessive exposure to ultraviolet light or a history of severe sunburn increases an