Baby Boomers And Skin Cancer
Baby boomers may have a new reputation. According to new cancer research, they are five times more likely to be diagnosed with malignant melanoma — the type of skin cancer that kills the most people.
The incidence rates of melanoma have risen from 7 cases per 100,000 people in the 1970’s to 36 cases per 100,000 today. The rising rate corresponds to the increase in tanning during the 1970’s, when baby boomers were young adults.
Parents and grandparents of teens should be checked by dermatologists as part of their preventive healthcare. I can only hope that teens today will be responsible for the stopping of this increase as they’ve grown up with the message that sunscreen is important and should be a daily part of their lives.
Photo credit: tata_aka_T
This post, Baby Boomers And Skin Cancer, was originally published on Healthine.com by Nancy Brown, Ph.D..
