Many of us at Genumark know people who have been effected by melanoma but lots of people are not aware of the risks and how to prevent it. We hope that this post helps answer some questions.
What is it?
Melanoma is a cancer that starts in the DNA of melanocytes; the cells responsible for your hair and skin’s colour. When their DNA is damaged, it causes the cells to grow uncontrollably leading to a malignant tumour.
What Causes it?
Excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) from the sun and sunbeds plays a leading role in the development of melanoma and is the most preventable cause of this disease. Experts estimate about 90% of melanomas are associated with severe UV exposure and sunburns over a lifetime.
The lifetime risk of melanoma for Canadian men is now 1 in 74. For Canadian women, it’s 1 in 90. In comparison, the lifetime risk of melanoma for Americans in 1930 was 1 in 1500.
There are useful tools on the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund website that explain how you can check for early signs. Click here for PDF’s for the ABCDEs of melanoma detection & Mole Check How To instructions.
The video below ‘Dear 16 Year Old Me’ by the David Cornfield Melanoma Fund illustrates how people have been effected by this preventable disease and features friends of Genumarker Aaron Greenberg.
There is a vast array of promotional products that can take care of you such as sunscreen, umbrellas, hats, shirts with built in SPF & UV meters that measure sun exposure. Stay safe this summer!
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