Taking a Look at the Statistics of Skin Cancer
The statistics on skin cancer are quite concerning. However, with prompt diagnosis and treatment, many instances of skin cancer can be isolated and controlled. Read on to find out more about skin cancer in Australia and the importance of a regular skin cancer check.
More than 60% of Australians Will Be Diagnosed with Skin Cancer before the Age of 70
This is a startling statistic that underlies just how frequent the diagnosis of skin cancer is within the Australian population. When thinking of those diagnosed with skin cancer, thought must also go out to those who never get a diagnosis but die from the disease all the same. The regularity with which skin cancer affects the country’s population necessitates certain safety measures, one of which can be easily implemented at home. The home skin cancer check, or skin cancer self-check as it’s also called, when conducted at regular intervals, can literally save your life. This is because the sooner skin cancer is diagnosed, the more options you have at your disposal for treating it.
When you conduct a home skin cancer check, you can quickly identify any suspicious looking moles using the ABCDE acronym. Here, A is for asymmetrical, B is for border, C is for colour, D is for Diameter, and E is for evolving. If you find any moles that are asymmetrical, have a jagged border, are unusual in colour or are multi-coloured, are becoming larger in diameter, or are changing in any other way over time, then you should seek help from a medical professional who can perform their own skin cancer check on your body.
More Than 2000 Australians Are Dying of Skin Cancer Each Year
Every year, more than 2000 Australians die from skin cancer. What’s so tragic about this statistic is that this outcome can easily be prevented through diligent acts such as keeping an eye on your body using the home skin cancer check, and getting a professional skin cancer check conducted by a suitably qualified doctor. You may find such a doctor in your own GP, in a dermatologist, or at a skin cancer clinic. Contacting such a doctor for a skin cancer check is a simple act that could save your life. When skin cancer is caught early, there is a good treatment prognosis. However, if it’s allowed to fester, it can spread to other areas of the body. To prevent yourself from becoming a statistic, carry out a regular home skin cancer check, and if you find anything suspicious, book in for a skin cancer check with a doctor as soon as possible. During this check, you will strip down to your undergarments, and then the doctor will inspect your skin, paying special attention to any moles that are present. The doctor may use a dermascope to get a good look at any suspicious moles, determining if they are changing in concerning ways.
More Than 2,500 Skin Cancer Treatments Occur in Australia Every Day
This statistic emphasises just how common skin cancer is in Australia, but it also underscores the real fact that there are multiple options for diagnosing and treating skin cancer too. One of the signs that a mole could be cancerous is if it’s growing and changing, and this can be detected through mole mapping. For this, you’ll be asked to take your outer garments off so that the doctor can take photos of the total surface of your skin. This virtual map becomes a baseline from which further mole maps in later years can be compared. So if your moles change over time, the mole map keeps a record of such changes and they can be queried easily by a skin cancer doctor during a skin cancer check. It’s always better to catch skin cancer as early as possible so that there are more treatment options available.
