03 | 25 | 2008 Posted By Regan Zambri & Long

Skin Cancer Risks Appear to Vary According to Geography: New Study

An American woman's risk of developing particular skin cancers is influenced by where she lives, according to a new study published in a recent edition of Archives of Internal Medicine.

According to scientists, a woman's risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma increases substantially if she lives in areas where UV radiation is high, such as in the Southern United States.  The risk of developing basal cell carcinoma, another type of skin cancer, is moderately dependent on living in a geography with high UV radiation.  Melanoma, the deadliest type of skin cancer, appears not to be associated with geography whatsoever.

Researchers conducting the study collected health data from approximately 85,000 women who lived in various geographic parts of the U.S. and who participated in the Nurses' Health Study for a period of 18 years.  Analysis of the data revealed that 420 women developed melanoma during that time.  Another 863 of those women developed squamous cell carcinomas, and 8,215 developed basal cell carcinomas.  Further data analysis also demonstrated clear differences in the rates of skin cancer development according to geography.  Women who lived in Southern states, for instance, suffered a twofold increased risk of developing a squamous cell carcinoma. 

Each year in the U.S., more than 250,000 people are diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, making it the second most common form of skin cancer.  Later diagnosis of the cancer can be fatal, and treatments of late-stage cancers can be disfiguring.  Authors speculate that the low association of geography with melanoma might indicate that melanoma development depends both on sun exposure and genetic heritage.  They also speculate that analysis of men's skin cancer rates will demonstrate similar relationships to geographic location.  An analysis of men's skin cancer rates is currently underway. 

Regardless of one's geographic location, authors of the study urge readers to adopt the following slogan:  "Slip, slop, slap:  Slip on a shirt, slop on the sunscreen, and slap on a hat," to reduce your odds of developing any skin cancer.

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