Melanoma rates doubled over last three decades, CDC reports

Rates of melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – doubled over the past three decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported yesterday. Melanoma rates increased from 11.2 cases per 100,000 people in 1982 to 22.7 cases per 100,000 in 2011, according to the agency. Melanoma is responsible for more than 9,000 skin cancer deaths in the U.S. each year. "The rate of people getting melanoma continues to increase every year compared to the rates of most other cancers, which are declining," said Lisa Richardson, M.D., the director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control. "If we take action now, we can prevent hundreds of thousands of new cases of skin cancers, including melanoma, and save billions of dollars in medical costs." The annual cost of treating new melanoma cases hit $457 million in 2011. By 2030, it's expected to nearly triple to $1.6 billion. A combination of education, mass media campaigns and policy changes to increase skin protection for children and adults could prevent an estimated 230,000 melanoma skins cancers and save $2.7 billion in treatment costs by then, according to the CDC.