Men Above 50 More Prone To Skin Cancer, Study Says

Skin cancer cost millions of lives every year. As stated by the Skin Cancer Foundation, the disease may begin when an unrepaired DNA cause damage to skin cells. This abnormality may happen when the skin cells in the body are exposed too much to ultraviolet radiation that triggers genetic defects and cell mutations. If the uncontrolled growth of abnormal skin cells continues, the affected ones may rapidly multiply and form malignant tumors that could be fatal to anyone.

Unfortunately, men seem to be more prone to be diagnosed with skin cancer than women. According to Newry Times, a 2015 statistics released by the Northern Ireland Registry reflected an increasing number of men are diagnosed with malignant melanoma, a most serious case of skin cancer. The statistic showed that males in Northern Ireland are involved in 209 cases of malignant melanoma, which is higher compared to results in the previous years.

A Consultant from the Public Health at the PHA added that the number of cases in men is usually lower than women and the recent statistic is surprising. On the brighter note, the number of men diagnosed with the early case of skin cancer has increased. This means that more men are willing to seek advice from doctors about the signs and symptoms of this deadly disease.

With this, the Cancer Focus Northern Ireland and Public Health Agency are working together with outdoor workers to increase skin cancer awareness, which mainly focuses on the importance of early detection. Malignant melanoma if left untreated can spread throughout the body. However, this aggressive type of skin cancer can be treated with early detection and advice from the doctors. Educational campaign and awareness also advised the public about regularly checking their skin of any unusual spots or moles that can be a symptom of skin cancer, Science Daily reported.

The response of the public about these efforts encouraged the Skin Cancer Strategy Implementation Group on how exposure to accurate information about diseases can influence change and the public's behavior about the skin cancers.