Melanoma Facts

• Melanoma rates are increasing faster than nearly all other cancers.
• Melanoma is a relatively easy disease to prevent.
• Most melanomas are easy to stop if caught soon enough — all it takes is a yearly skin exam.
• Melanoma kills one person every hour.
• Melanoma is the most common cancer among women aged 25-32
• As many as 10,000 people a year die from melanoma.
• The New England states have a higher than average rate of melanoma

Tanning Facts

• People who use tanning beds once a month before the age of 35 increase their melanoma risk by 75%.
• It is not safe to tan in the sun or in a tanning booth.
• The more you tan and the younger you start tanning, the more likely it is that you will get melanoma.
• Using a tanning bed for 20 minutes is equivalent to spending one to three hours a day at the beach with no sun protection at all.
• Tanning beds put out three to six times the amount of radiation given off by the sun.
• For most people, 5-10 minutes of unprotected sun 2-3 times a week is enough to help your skin make Vitamin D, which is essential for your health. Getting more sun won’t increase your Vitamin D level, but it will increase your risk of skin cancer. Vitamin D also comes from orange juice, milk, fish, and supplements.